Taylor Swift Cried Over The Grammys

It may seem like all Taylor Swift does is win. But the "Blank Space" performer will be the first to tell you that she does not win all the time. However, one loss does not mean all is lost, and the pop star revealed, in a new interview with Grammy Pro, that she found that out shortly after she took a tough L at a 2014 award show. Taylor Swift said she cried after losing the Grammy for Red, and talked about how it led to her creation of 1989. She said,

When they announced the Album Of The Year winner, it was like, ‘And the album of the year goes to…Reeeeeandom Access Memories, Daft Punk! And they really dragged out the ‘reeee.’ And for a second there, I kind of thought we had it, and we didn’t. I remember not going to after-parties, I went home and I cried a little bit, and I got In-N-Out Burger and ate a lot.

After Swift's totally reasonable first reaction (who doesn't gravitate toward junk food after a big disappointment?), she said that she was thinking a lot before bed about what she had made for her next album, which was still unnamed at that point. She was also meditating on some of the reasons why she did not win for her last album. And that night, she was able to find that the Grammy loss was about to lead to some tremendous gain.

Swift said she realized that she had a few options after she didn't get the big win she wanted. She could simply decide that the voters were wrong and leave it at that. She said she could also go onstage and take the mic from whoever did win it (smooth Kanye West reference there). Or she said that she could decide that they were right and that she perhaps did not do her best work. Right before she went to sleep, she realized that the problem was that she was not making sonically cohesive albums, and that she was listening to a scared record label, which was affecting her music. Then, she said,

So I went to bed and I woke up at 4 in the morning. I'm like, 'It's called 1989. I've been making 80s synth-pop. I'm going to do that. I'm calling it a pop record. I am not listening to anyone at my record label. I'm starting tomorrow.

Obviously, to say that went well would be an understatement. The album has been certified platinum five times, nearly unheard of in this day and age where albums have all but been declared a dying art form. The music kickstarted a world tour with countless sold-out shows, complete with a never-ending list of celebrity guests joining her onstage in celebration. And of course, it led to an epic collection of music videos, which are like mini-movies.

Swift has proven through the interview that losing can be the beginning of a big win. Of course, she probably could have done without the Kanye West reference, but apart from that, it is an inspiring message to send to any fans or followers who are struggling with some kind of loss. Sometimes, the way to go is just around the corner. And obviously, she is still reaping the rewards from the way she chose to go. As she should.