It’s not every day a global superstar shows up to a radio interview bearing gifts, but Taylor Swift is not just any superstar. Arriving at the BBC Radio 1 studio to chat with friend and host Greg James, she came armed with a loaf of homemade lemon blueberry sourdough bread, a bag covered in cat stickers, and a disarmingly casual, happy energy that would define one of her most revealing interviews in years.

What followed was not just a promotional stop for her new album. It was a candid portrait of an artist at her apex, a woman who has navigated public scrutiny, creative battles, and personal heartbreak, only to emerge “sickeningly in love,” creatively unbound, and, for the first time, in full, unapologetic control of her own narrative.

And, in a moment that sent the internet into a frenzy, she even dished out a casual wedding invitation.

The conversation, flowing as easily as one between old friends, quickly turned to her personal life and its reflection in her new music. James noted she seemed “giddy,” “bright and happy,” and “clearly… in love.” Swift didn’t just agree; she embraced it. “I love being sickeningly in love,” she declared. “It’s so nice. It’s wonderful.”

This happiness, however, once represented her “dark fear” as a songwriter. For years, she, like many artists, wrestled with the myth of the tortured artist. “What happens if the writing just dries up?” she used to wonder. “What if writing is directly tied to my torment and pain?”

The new album is her definitive answer. “It turns out that’s not the case at all,” she confirmed, a note of relief in her voice. She explained that from her current “place of happiness and love,” she can still “go back to those places” of frustration and anger, but with the stability of someone who is no longer living in them.

This creative evolution is also marked by her reunion with pop titans Max Martin and Shellback, whom she hadn’t worked with in nearly eight years. In that time, Swift honed her skills in narrative and “writing in character,” bringing a new depth to their signature “big happy pop” sound. The result, she says, is a “full picture” of her life, where she can even “cosplay” a love song through the lens of Elizabeth Taylor.

Of course, a key part of that “full picture” is her high-profile relationship with NFL star Travis Kelce. When asked when she first played “Big Trav” the new record, Swift’s affection was palpable. She described him as a “vibes guy” and an “exclamation mark,” revealing she’d play him the tracks immediately after returning from her writing sessions in Sweden. “I knew that this was the kind of album that he was going to love the most,” she said.

But the interview’s most shocking moment came from a place of pure, friendly banter. As James joked about wanting to play catch with Kelce, Swift chimed in with a stunningly casual offer. “The way that he’s going to do that as soon as he sees you at our wedding is like… that’s going to happen,” she said. After a moment of stunned silence, she doubled down: “Am I coming?” James asked. “Obviously,” Swift replied, confirming it was a real invitation.

This easy, unguarded nature also extended to clearing up old internet drama. James brought up a viral clip from years prior where he joked she needed a shower after a “sweaty performance.” The joke was infamously taken out of context by fans who thought he was being offensive. Swift laughed it off, confirming it was just “a bit” and that she was never upset. “I’m a pretty tough broad,” she reminded listeners. “People don’t need to bubble wrap me in their minds as much as they do.”

That toughness was a theme that resurfaced in the conversation’s most serious-minded turn: her fight to re-record and own her masters. Swift reflected on the “infuriating” process and the public battle that she rarely speaks out about. “I don’t speak up about many things,” she admitted, explaining she avoids “rage baiting.” “But I was like, you know what… this matters to me.”

She spoke with pride not just about the victory of “getting it back,” but about the broader impact on the music industry. The entire ordeal “culminated in sort of there being more awareness for artists about their ownership.” It’s a fight she led, and one that has cemented her legacy not just as a songwriter, but as a savvy and powerful force for artist rights.

With the colossal, two-year-long Eras Tour finally behind her, Swift described her current state as one of welcome rest. The tour, while an “honor” and an “astonishing” experience, was also “the most exhausting challenge ever physically.” Now, she’s reveling in the simple things. “I have hobbies again,” she beamed. “I could only do the Eras tour when I was on the tour… So now I have the hobbies again, as you can see,” she said, gesturing to the very bread that started the conversation.

From baking sourdough to planning a wedding, from reclaiming her life’s work to writing songs from a place of joy, the interview painted a complete picture of Taylor Swift. She is no longer just a “showgirl” or a “tortured artist.” She is, as she said, a “pretty tough broad” who, after all this time, is finally happy, in love, and in charge.