Is she standing in the hallway with a big cake, happy birthday?
Taylor Swift turns 35 on Friday, Dec. 13. We aren’t yet privy to how she’s celebrating this year, though if yesterday’s appearance at a children’s hospital in Kansas City is any indication, it likely involves boyfriend Travis Kelce.
Meanwhile, Taylor Nation shared a new Apple Music playlist: Taylor’s Winter Warmers, and also added a new archive section to the official Swift website, which celebrates each era with the album playlist, merch, original tour dates and photos from the Eras Tour.
And the evening prior, Swift got an “early birthday present” when she became the most decorated artist in Billboard Music Awards history.
“I just have to say thank you,” Swift said in a pre-taped video acceptance speech. “It means the world to me that you guys have embraced the things that I’ve made. And the fact that you’ve cared so much about my music. This is like, the nicest early birthday present you could have given me. So thank you very much. I love it. It’s exactly what I wanted.”
While we wait for any potential updates from Swift herself, we’re looking back on her past birthday bashes.
2023 – 34th birthday
Swift celebrated with a birthday bash in New York City, with a star-studded guest list.
Blake Lively, Gigi Hadid, Zoe Kravitz, Sabrina Carpenter, Jack Antonoff, the Haim sisters, “Queer Eye” star Antoni Porowski, Miles and Keleigh Teller and longtime pal Abigail Anderson, aka the Abigail of “15” fame, were photographed at the party. (Selena Gomez also posted what seemed to be a separate celebration with Swift.)
“Can’t believe this year… actually… happened? Thank you for all your beautiful birthday wishes yesterday,” Swift captioned an Instagram post the next day.
She further extended the celebration by announcing that day that the extended version of The Eras Tour concert film, featuring songs previously cut for time.
“I had the time of my life fighting dragons with youuuu,” she captioned a social media post. “Celebrate 34 with me by watching The Eras Tour (Extended Version) including “Long Live” “The Archer” and “Wildest Dreams” at home!”
2022 – 33rd birthday
The year prior was a bit more lowkey — Swift shared a photo of herself in New Orleans’ Esplanade Studios with Jack Antonoff, her holding a cello and him holding an acoustic guitar.
“Thanks for all the beautiful wishes today!!” she captioned the post. “I spent my 33rd birthday in the studio of course 😏 Wouldn’t have it any other way. Love you!”
It would later be revealed that they were working on future Tortured Poets Department songs: “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me,” “Fresh Out The Slammer” and “Florida!!!”
2021 – 32nd birthday
After a period of isolation during COVID quarantine, this year brought a joint birthday party for Swift and longtime pal Alana Haim, who was turning 30 on Dec. 15. The two donned gold dresses and blew out candles on their own matching white, pink and gold cakes.
“*don’t say it, don’t say it OKAY I’m saying it:* I’M FEELIN 32,” Swift captioned photos of their bash. “And Alana is feeling 30. Don’t worry we tested everyone! Thank you so much for the birthday wishes, I love you all so much 🥰🥲🎂”
2020 – 31st birthday
Though in quarantine, Swift found a special way to celebrate her “lucky number backwards” birthday with her fans. Just two days prior, she released Evermore, her second pandemic album.
“You’ve all been so caring, supportive and thoughtful on my birthdays and so this time I thought I would give you something,” she captioned a post announcing the deluxe edition of the album, which featured bonus tracks “right where you left me” and “it’s time to go.”
She added: “I also know this holiday season will be a lonely one for most of us and if there are any of you out there who turn to music to cope with missing loved ones the way I do, this is for you.”
2019 – 30th birthday
Swift’s big 3-0 was celebrated onstage as she performed for Jingle Ball at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. She sang several songs from her then-latest album, Lover, and debuted her first live performance of “Christmas Tree Farm.”
“Honestly spending my 30th with the fans who have made my life what it is at jingle ball, then throwing the most aggressive holiday party known to womankind… I just.. seriously feel so lucky for you all and will spend forever trying to find ways to say thank you,” she later wrote. “*cries in Christmas tree*”
2018 – 29th birthday
Another career-focused birthday announcement: a little less than a month after finishing her Reputation tour, Swift dropped the first trailer for her Netflix concert film.
“Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes!” she captioned the trailer on social media. “Today I finally get to show you something we’ve been working on for a while… the trailer for the Reputation Stadium Tour! … You made this tour so insanely fun for all of us on stage, and I’m really excited that we will have this memento of the memories we all made together this year.”
2017 – 28th birthday
Another Jingle Ball year! A few days before her actual birthday, Swift made another Jingle Ball appearance, this time in London, where she sang ____. She commemorated her birthday by sharing a photo of herself onstage, taken by longtime guitarist Paul Sidoti. Swift and her team also chose that day to announce the dates for her upcoming Reputation tour.
“I love you guys so much,” she wrote. “I couldn’t have asked for a better year, all thanks to you. Thanks for all the birthday wishes. Can’t wait to see what 28 will be like. See you on tour.”
2016 – 27th birthday
This was the year that Swift’s feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian prompted her to step out of the spotlight, which means we don’t have a ton of confirmed insight into how she spent this birthday. But several friends, including Gigi Hadid, Martha Hunt and Karlie Kloss, sent her well wishes on social media.
2015 – 26th birthday
Swift threw a big Christmas bash in Malibu this year, joined by then-boyfriend Calvin Harris and a slew of other stars including Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton, US Weekly reported at the time.
2014 – 25th birthday
On the heels of her first-ever Jingle Ball performance, Swift partied with major stars including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Selena Gomez, Charli XCX, Justin Timberlake, Sam Smith, Emma Roberts, Karlie Kloss, Nick Jonas, Chrissy Teigen and the Haim sisters.
“So this is being 25 … #WHAT #bestbirthdayEVER,” Swift captioned a since-deleted social media photo.
2013 – 24th birthday
While on the Red tour, Swift made a pit stop in Australia for a rare non-wintery birthday party. Down under in Melbourne, she hosted a garden party, with then-new friend Lorde among the guests.
“The best birthday I’ve ever had,” Swift wrote in another since-deleted post.
2012 – 23rd birthday
Amid reports that then-boyfriend Harry Styles bought Swift 23 cupcakes to celebrate her birthday, she debuted the music video for “I Knew You Were Trouble.”
For those keeping score, that release marked her 23rd career music video — how about that for some vintage Tayvoodoo.
2011 – 22nd birthday
Swift rang in 22 — which would later become fodder for the eponymous Red song — with a party in Nashville.
My favorite birthday yet has been my 22nd birthday,” she later told Glamour magazine. “I had all my Nashville friends come over. My apartment is very weird, there are all kinds of balconies and places you can climb up. It was just crazy, it was wild, everybody was dancing, the music was so loud, we got noise complaints.”
2010 – 21st birthday
It’s supposed to be fun turning 21. Swift threw a party with family, friends and musical colleagues at her family’s house in Hendersonville, Tennessee, which then-boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal famously skipped out on.
“And it was like slow motion / Standing there in my party dress / In red lipstick / With no one to impress / And they’re all standing around me singing / ‘Happy birthday to you’ / But there was one thing missing / And that was the moment I knew,” she sang in “The Moment I Knew.”
2009 – 20th birthday
As we wind down to the beginnings of Swift’s time in the public eye, there’s less and less information available to the public. But People magazine did report at the time that Swift celebrated her 20th by making a $250,000 donation to schools around the country that she had visited while performing.
“Something I wanted to do at the end of this amazing year and especially on my birthday was give back to something I really believe in, which is education,” Swift said at the time.
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