Merry Christmas and Congrats Taylor!

It's been quiet on this site for quite some time, but I figured Christmas Day would be as good a time as any to start posting again. And in my posting absence has Taylor's star ever risen. According to all the industry reports, Billboard.com in particular, Taylor's new album "Fearless" is spending it's third consecutive week at number 1 on their charts.

To give you a better idea of what that means, Nielsen Soundscan is reporting that 330,000 copies of Fearless were sold in the week ending December 21. Merry Christmas indeed! If you were lucky enough to have gotten her new CD for Christmas, let us know in the poll to the right.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Taylor Show in Joliet, Illinois

I was just reading a piece in the Chicago Tribune about Taylor Swift, and was it ever eye opening. A lot of people wonder what Taylor's like in person, and I've even read numerous posts online about she might be less than nice with her fan base. But after reading this article, it's hard to believe she's anything but nice.

The part of the article that made my jaw drop was:

The last song of the night was the clean-but-still-rowdy version of Swift's newest single, 'Picture To Burn.' After which she promised to 'sign every single autograph for everyone in here. And she did, staying in the lobby from 9:30 p.m. until 1 a.m. to do so.

How many other Grammy nominated artists would you think would stick around for 3.5 hours after their show to sign autographs for their fans. Taylor truly is one of a kind.

And for those of you wondering, it seems like Taylor is including an acoustic version of Rihanna's hit "Umbrella" in all her live concerts.

Taylor Swift Collaborations

I read some exciting news for Taylor Swift fans this morning about some upcoming material and collaborations that are in the works. I'm sure you all know that Taylor is working away on her second album as we speak, but the Kansas City Star is reporting that Taylor's new disc will feature a single featuring Colbie Caillat, who is best known for the hit "Bubbly."

This duet is slated to be included on Taylor's new disc. In the meantime, Taylor is also lending a hand (or voice) on her friend's new release. Taylor and Kellie Pickler have been spending some time in the recording studio together to record a duet for Pickler's new CD.

No word yet on the exact release date for Taylor's new CD.

Gridiron Bash Lineup

I told you earlier this month about Taylor Swift playing in the music festival known as the Gridiron Bash, taking place on April 18-19, but I figured I would pass along the rest of the lineup for the show.

I'm sure the list has yet to be finalized, but here are the performers that are confirmed to date:

- Taylor Swift
- Dwight Yoakam
- ZZ Top
- Fergie
- Counting Crows
- Maroon 5
- Kelly Clarkson
- The Goo Goo Dolls

The concerts will be simulcast at various colleges across the U.S. For further information about the venues, check out the Gridiron Bash website.

Taylor Swift is Platinum!

The Recording Industry Association of America has officially certified Taylor Swift’s hit single “Teardrops on My Guitar” as a digital Platinum single. What this means is that 1 million of you have (legally) download the song.

This certification includes downloads from iTunes as well as ringtone downloads.

In any case, since the certification’s inception in 2004, only 3 other country artists have achieved this massive milestone, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, and the Dixie Chicks.

Taylor also received a little more good news as her third single, “Our Song”, was certified as a Gold, as it has been download over 500,000 times.

TBO.com Reviews Taylor's Tampa Show

In case any of you wondering what to expect from seeing Taylor in person, TBO.com had someone review her performance Saturday night in Tampa, and by their account she's fantastic live. Or to quote them "Is she for real? The Swift answer is yes!"

The Tampa show at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Morsani Hall, was jammed to the center's 2,582 capacity to see Taylor perform songs off her debut album as well as some surprises, such as her mid-set rendition of Rhianna's mega-hit "Umbrella." I'm still looking for a YouTube video of this performance, so if you have it, please let me know where I can find it.

In the meantime, what's been your reaction to seeing her live? Leave feedback in the comments!

Taylor and "Drew" Have Reunion

Taylor Swift had a blast from the past recently. As Taylor was leaving to pick up Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler, a car pulled up and blocked her in. The driver of the car was the Taylor's inspiration for her hit single "Teardrops On My Guitar", Drew.

Nashville TV station WKRN reported that Taylor said everything went well and that their meeting was very cordial. Taylor said it was the first time they had seen each other in close to three years.

Taylor Swift on the Cover of Us Weekly!

It's not hard to tell Taylor Swift's star is rising, and fast! Taylor will be featured on the cover of this week's US weekly as the magazine promotes the new "power girls" in the music industry.

The magazine is trying to pull the focus away from the constant negative shadows cast by the trainwreck that is Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan (as well as the recent deaths of Brad Renfro and Heath Ledger), and focus more on the up-and-coming stars that are good roll models to kids.

The other celebs on the list are a number of "Disney kids", including Miley Cyrus, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, and Raven Symone. Rounding out the list are Rhianna, Ellen Page, Blake Lively, and Amanda Bynes.

Taylor Swift - February Concert Schedule

If you are looking for Taylor's remaining performances in January, you can click here to view Taylor's January concert listings. What is included below is all scheduled concerts for the month of February 2008. If there are any omissions or corrections needed, please leave a comment and I'll be sure to update the listings asap.

Date	City, ST	Venue
02/01/08	Joliet, IL	Rialto Square Theatre
02/02/08	Kalamazoo, MI	James W. Miller Auditorium
02/15/08	North Myrtle Beach, SC	House of Blues
02/17/08	Orlando, FL	Hard Rock Cafe
02/28/08	Spartanburg, SC	Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium
02/29/08	Tarboro, NC	Edgecombe Community College

Taylor to Play "Gridiron Bash"

School spirit and great music will collide on April 18 as MSL Sports and Entertainment will present a live concert feature Taylor, Fergie, Kelly Clarkson, and Maroon 5 among others. The concert will be broadcast simultaneously to about 20 division I stadiums around the country in advance of the Spring Football Games, which is similar to basketballs Midnight Madness.

Other acts that are in talks to perform are Good Charlotte, Fall Out Boy, and O.A.R among others.

Tickets for the event are going to be $35 and the event will also include tailgate parties, fan competitions, pep rallies, etc.

For more information on the event, check out Grid Iron Bash website.

Teardrops on My Guitar - New Year's Eve Performance

As I'm sure all you Taylor Swift fans know, Taylor performed live on New Year's Eve as part of Dick Clark's annual special. The first song she performed was her smash hit "Our Song", but she also did another song later in the show. That song of course was "Teardrops on My Guitar." The video of this performance is below.