Taylor Swift is Taking Haim on Tour for Maximum '1989' Vibes

Wait—am I gonna get sued for typing the year “1989” without a copyright? No? Okay. So, Taylor Swift, god of your gods but not of mine, has been spending a good amount of time with the Haim sisters as of late, calling them her “squad” like she has been listening to a lot of Waka Flocka and going on vacation with them in Hawaii. So it is not a surprise that the apparent newfound BFFs are now all going on tour together—or, as Taylor put it, “TOURING WITH SQUAD YESSS.” You can definitely imagine them cranking “Grove St Party” in the hotel, no? If anyone in Taylor’s camp moves to trademark the word “squad” I will legit riot.

Anyway! Aside from friendship, Haim opening for Swift on her 1989 World Tour makes total sense: the “’80s pop” that Swift wanted for 1989 is endemic to Haim’s entire sound, so it’s like Phil Collins touring with Phil Collins. Alternately, Este and Danielle Haim started their musical lives as teen pop stars, in a group called The Valli Girls, so there will not be a dearth of topics to hash out.

Of course all these ladies are friends, and they will no doubt have the time of their lives. But the cynic might posit that this is very Drake-ian of Taylor Swift. Let me explain: there is a common belief among rap fans that Drake, with his label October’s Very Own, signs artists that have some kind of spiritual and sonic similarity to his own, so that he may put his stamp on them—claim them, in a way—and so that in the unlikely event that they surpass him in popularity, he will still have a stake in the game. Of course, Taylor Swift is nowhere near that Machiavellian—she just trademarked those phrases so Party City couldn’t cake off her lyrics, amirite?—and the audience that loves Swift is no doubt going to love the lovely pop of Haim. (I really like Haim.)

But it’s something to think about. We’ll know it’s true if she tries to get Sky Ferreira on the bill, too, who released an excellent, anthemic ’80s pop album a full year before Swift dropped 1989 (and the same month Haim dropped Days Are Gone). Ferreira had been working on that shit for three years. Not saying. Just saying. But maybe saying. Please enjoy this selection of musics from the YouTube. Swift/Haim dates here.