Malala Yousafzai attended Taylor Swift’s concert at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday night. The activist shared in a post on Instagram that the show was her first “proper” concert and added a sentimental story about her own history as a Swiftie.
“One of my favorite memories from Swat Valley is a field trip I took in middle school with my best friend, Moniba (second photo, on the left),” Yousafzai wrote. “Giggling, we went to a waterfall hidden away in a lush green mountain. We were so excited because we were finally allowed to go to school again and could be outdoors with our friends, laughing and singing together.”
“Having lived through a time where music and art were banned, music felt like a gift. Moniba and I found the highest rock we could, climbed on top of it and announced to all of our classmates and teachers we were going to perform our new favourite song called LOVE STORY.”
“We sang with all of our heart, taking in the joy we felt every second. That’s where my Swiftie journey began. It feels magical that my first-ever proper concert would be to see @TaylorSwift, singing along to every song surrounded by friends,” she explained, sharing the history of her fandom.
“Three years ago, the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan. Once again, music no longer plays on the streets, and girls and women are barred from school, work and public life. In Swat, music made my friends and me feel confident and free. And one day I hope we will live in a world where every girl will be able to enjoy music and live out her wildest dreams,” Yousafzai concluded.
Saturday’s concert was also notable because Swift performed “I Did Something Bad” from her “Reputation” album for the first time ever. “The whole tour I’ve done 100s of songs, but I’ve not done one of my favorite ones because I was waiting for the right crowd,” the singer told the packed stadium audience of 92,000. This was the first time the singer had performed the song since 2018.
Fans had hoped that the singer would announce the release of “Reputation (Taylor’s Version).” Only two albums, including her self-titled debut, remain to be re-recorded and released, with fans speculating since even before the release of her most recent album about when her new version of “Reputation” would drop. Having now played all of the album’s songs on her current tour, fans expect a new “Reputation” to be right around the corner.
Leave a Reply