Carole King sings Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” at Swifties for Kamala

Carole King may be one of the most famous Taylor Swift fans in the world, and the iconic singer-songwriter joined the Swifties for Kamala coalition’s launch call on Tuesday night (August 27).

“I’m a Swiftie, and Taylor and I are actually friends. We’ve had conversations behind the scenes and I kind of see her as my musical, songwriter granddaughter. We have a beautiful relationship, and I’m so proud of her,” King told the thousands of listeners who tuned in to the livestream, noting that her favorite Swift song is “Shake It Off” by 1989.

“I’m very excited about Kamala, because a lot of people are very excited about Kamala, and I’ve met her. I admire her, and she and the stars aligned, and Joe Biden did something that was really graceful and hard to do, and I’m very proud of him,” King continued. “But this is about you. I know you have your own ways of communicating and networking and organizing on social media.”

King then encouraged Swifties to volunteer in person and participate in door-knocking and phone-calling to mobilize voters. “I’ve been a political activist for years. I’ve called, I’ve gone door-to-door, even as a celebrity,” she explained, before offering live advice on how to be a good door-knocker. “I’m telling you all this because if any of you are thinking about volunteering to go door-knocking or phone-calling, but you’re a little nervous about what you might say, trust me, you’ll be working with an organizer who will walk you through the steps,” she said. “Don’t be afraid, because there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain. … There’s too much at stake.”

In closing, King said Swift helped get her into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 by performing the legend’s classic “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” and that she would return the favor. She then delivered a “surprise song” for the Swifties for Kamala by briefly singing the chorus of “Shake It Off.” “‘Cause the players gon’ play, play, play, play, play/ And the haters gon’ hate, hate, hate, hate, hate/ Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake/ I’m gonna shake, I’m gonna shake,” she mused.

Taylor Swift has yet to endorse anyone in the 2024 presidential race between Trump and Harris. She is not affiliated with the group — which describes itself as a “coalition of Swifties ready to mobilize Taylor Swift fans to help elect Democratic candidates at every level of the ballot” — but Swifties for Kamala noted that the “I Can Do It With the Broken Heart” singer is “always welcome at our party.”

At the Swifties for Kamala launch event, Sen. Elizabeth Warren addressed the group, noting that her two favorite Taylor Swift songs are “Karma” and “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version) (10 Minute Version).” “What I love most about Swifties is that you are resilient and you know how to stand up to bullies,” the politician explained. “You know how to be your most authentic, joyful selves. You come together, hand in hand, with friendship bracelets on your wrists, and you overcome just about anything that life throws at you. Kamala Harris’ campaign stands up for what is right in the face of bullies like Donald Trump.”

She continued, “With Kamala Harris, everything is very different. Under Kamala Harris, our future is bright. Kamala will sign laws that protect abortion. She will take on the big corporations that are ripping you off. I’m looking at you, Ticketmaster, and she will help level the playing field for everyone. So here’s the thing. We have 70 days until the election, and I’m going to be honest, it’s going to be a tough fight coming. We have a lot to do, and boy, there’s only 24 hours in a day, or 144 ‘All Too Well (10 Minute Version)’. But here’s the thing, like you’ve done every time before, we’re going to push this boulder up the hill, and we’re going to win in November. So with that, I’m looking forward to the era of the first female president.” So please join the fight, knock on doors, make phone calls, and let’s elect Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States. Swifties, you can do this.

Watch the full Swifties kickoff call for Kamala below.