There are plenty of reasons to love Taylor Swift’s music, and her fans would be glad to list them down for you. But one major reason why millions of people around the globe are in love with the 29-year-old’s music is that her songs encourage them to be hopeful and/or provide them with the necessary motivation to keep moving forward with their lives.
And although it might be difficult for some people to imagine, celebrities are also just like any other human being and hence vulnerable to the same kinds of stresses that may inflict any of us.
And so, when they are going through a tough time, they too feel the need for support, and just like us, they too listen to music for that much-needed motivation.
This is exactly why Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o fell in love with Swift’s song Shake It Off and, according to her, it helped her get through some very difficult times, the actress revealed while speaking at the Sundance Film Festival back in January after her film called Little Monsters had been screened.
Little Monsters
The song holds such a special place in her heart that the film Little Monsters also contains a reference to it. Nyong’o plays the character of a kindergarten teacher in the film, and the plot revolves around the adventure she has while protecting the children in her class from what appears to be a zombie apocalypse.
In an effort to keep the children happy through the apocalypse, her character Miss Caroline is shown playing the ukulele while also singing the song Shake It Off, which symbolizes how the same song has helped Nyong’o get through the tough times in real life as well.
And this is not a coincidence, of course. According to reports, it was due to the efforts made by Nyong’o that the song became a part of the movie.
A Rough Time
During the same speech, Nyong’o revealed that her professional life had started to pose certain challenges at one point in time, although she did not provide details as to the nature of those challenges. While she was at a work assignment in a foreign country and feeling very down, her best friend surprised her with a visit with the purpose of cheering her up.
According to Nyong’o, her friend played the song Shake It Off right there on his cell phone, and the lively tune of the song got both of them to get up and dance for as long as they could.
It was at that point that Nyong’o realized the power this song, and considering the nature of her character in the film Little Monsters, Nyong’o was adamant that her character sings this song in the film.
And so she approached Swift herself to seek permission for the usage of the song in the film because the filmmakers were finding it difficult to secure the rights of the song themselves.
Nyong’o told Swift about the significance this song held for her, and after listening to her heart-warming story, obviously Swift agreed.