What’s next for Taylor Swift?

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Taylor Swift, winner of 11 Grammys, holder of eight number one songs, and one of the best-selling female music artists of the decade, is the queen of pop, but is also the queen of surprises. Swift released her 8th studio album, “Folklore,” with only 24 hours’ notice to fans in the middle of the pandemic. But that’s not the only surprise Swift has had up her sleeve recently. Swift is in the process of releasing new versions of her first six albums and is a closely held secret as to which she is going to release next.

Swift is systematically re-releasing new versions of her prior albums to escape Scooter Braun. When Braun’s Ithaca Holdings LLC acquired all of Big Machine’s music assets, this included the rights to Taylor Swift’s music which meant he was receiving all of the royalties every time a Swift song played. Braun owns her first six albums which include “Fearless,” “Red,” “Speak Now,” “1989,” and “Reputation.” Swift offered to buy back the master recordings for her albums, but Braun refused. The only albums she owns are “Lover”, “Folklore,” and “Evermore.” Her most recent re-release was “Red (Taylor’s Version)” in November, and now fans are speculating which album she is to re-record next.

Swifties, or Taylor Swift fans, have an interesting theory that the music video for “Lover” holds the clue to the order Swift is going to release her next re-recording. The “Lover” video portrays Swift in a house with different colored rooms which fans feel represents her albums. She released “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” first which corresponds to the color yellow, then “Red (Taylor’s Version)” which corresponds to the color red, and according to the fan theories, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” is next which corresponds with the color purple.

Originally, fans thought “1989” was next with the release of “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version),” which premiered in the animated movie “Spirit Untamed.” But many Swifties still hold out hope for “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” even if the clues may be pointing toward “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”

Avid Swiftie and DePaul sophomore Evan Mueller offered his two cents. “A lot of people have been saying ‘1989,’” said Mueller, “but I feel like that album fits better with the summer and ‘Speak Now’ fits better with the winter.”

Similarly, DePaul freshman Claire Rooney, another self-proclaimed Swiftie, agrees. “Personally, I think Speak Now is coming next,” she said, “because [Taylor] made an Instagram story with a lyric from ‘Speak Now’ a while ago, and I think it makes the most sense with the albums that are left to re-record.”

Swift trolled her fans with clues that “Speak Now” was to be released this January. First, the Empire State Building TikTok account posted a video on Dec. 29 featuring her song “22” off of “Red (Taylor’s Version)” album. This would be fine normally, but the top of the Empire State Building was purple, the main color of the Speak Now album. Then, TikTok creator @mrperfectlyfine13 noticed that the release date of “Speak Now” had been changed on Apple Music and Spotify from its original date of Oct. 25, 2010 to Jan. 1, 2010. Finally, creator @thethriftyswiftie noticed the images on Spotify for her albums were changed to confetti dropping, causing everyone to believe that Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) was going to be a New Year’s present.

January 1, 2022 came and passed with no “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” and fans were surprised. DePaul junior Holly Dodd, however, was not.

“She’s not known to drop holiday albums or songs, except for her 2019 Christmas song. It just felt like people were hopeful and convinced themselves that it was going to happen without enough evidence,” Dodd said.

However, people still believe that the album will be coming in 2022 because there are still other clues that point to “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” In her song “Innocent,” off of the “Speak Now” album, Swift sings the lyric “32” and still growing up now” — an interesting coincidence, given that she turns 32 this year. Next, @TaylorNation, an official account with inside knowledge run by Swift’s public relations and marketing teams, posted a boomerang of Taylor Swift drinking Starbucks. TikTok creator @flighthouse believes Swift is trying to trick her fans into believing “1989” is next with this video because fans thought the lyric “got a long list of ex-lovers” was actually “got a long list of Starbucks lovers” from her “1989” song “Blank Space.” She pointed out three G’s at the bottom of Taylor’s Starbucks cup and said: ”Wanna know what song starts with three G chords? It’s ‘Speak Now.’ And you wanna know what her third album was? It’s ‘Speak Now.’” Additionally, the song “Begin Again” from “Red (Taylor’s Version)” was playing in the video, and @flighthouse believes this is hinting at the beginning of the “Speak Now” era.

“Not only has Taylor Swift been leaving clues throughout her entire career,” said DePaul junior Jessica Forristall, “but from a marketing perspective it also gives her more attention and buzz. I think she has a good amount of agency and creativity with it, and her team is probably even planning clues for us to decipher right now.”

Now that fans believe “Speak Now” is coming, the question is: When is it coming? The @flighthouse administrator has a theory that the album is dropping on Feb. 22, because Swift had been posting videos about her song “22″ for the entire month of December. This could of course be because the year 2022 was coming up, but Swifties like to believe she did it for a reason. Feb. 22 is a Wednesday, and is also the same day of the week Swift posted the “Fearless” and “Red” vault tracks. It also happens that @TaylorNation posted a TikTok with the caption “Wednesday Mood.”

Some of these theories may be a stretch, but Taylor Swift is a master planner and knows how to fake people out, so fans will always be suspicious of what she posts on social media.

“Taylor has always been sneaky about music releases, so as a Swiftie, I always read between the lines of her social media,” Rooney said.

While there are many clues as to what Swift’s next re-release will be, only the queen of surprises herself knows what’s next.

Record Store Day 2022 Explained; Taylor Swift is the Brand Ambassador

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Ever heard of the Record Store Day? You are in the right place!

Before we go any further, do note that Taylor Swift is the new Record Store Day 2022 Ambassador.

What is Record Store Day?

For those of you who aren’t aware, it is an annual event that happens every year since 2007.

To, “celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store”, it takes place on Saturday every April and Black Friday in November.

This day brings fans together. In addition to fans, artists and independent record artist stores come together to celebrate the record stores all over the world. You would find it shocking to believe but quite some records are reserved for Record Store Day.

There is also a list of releases dedicated to each country and every city that participates in the event, is given the list.

The different countries that Record Store Day is headquartered in include the United States. Additionally, other members and organizers include Ireland, Japan, Australia, the UK, Mexico, etc.

Taylor Swift – Brand Ambassador of Record Store Day 2022

Taylor Swift now stands as the first global ambassador of the Record Store Day.

“The places where we go to browse and explore and discover music new and old have always been sacred to me,” Swift said.

“Record stores are so important because they help to perpetuate and foster music-loving as a passion.”

In the coming weeks, Taylor will announce a special RSD 2022.

Speaking about Taylor, Amy Lunde, and Doyle Davis, members of the RSD store said, “Swift has shown her love and support for independent record stores by not only supporting our shop specifically during the dark, early days of the pandemic [and] when she directly donated to help us support our staff, but also by steering her eager, excited, and dedicated fans to independent record stores, places that many of them visited for the first time while in search of her signed CDs.”

Swift also motivated “fans to independent record stores, places that many of them visited for the first time while in search of her signed CDs.”

Right now, the ambassadors for the United States are Fred Armisen, Pearl Jam, and Brandi Carlile.

They further said, “As Swift has grown as an artist, we’ve watched her fans grow with her and have been delighted to see her taking control of her recordings and working with musicians like Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, artists whose music has resonated in shops like ours for years.

“We can’t think of a better choice for RSD Ambassador for 2022!”

Moreover, the Record Store Day’s official Twitter handle was also announced.

“Taylor is the first ever GLOBAL Record Store Day Ambassador! We can’t wait to celebrate Record Store Day (Taylor’s Version) on April 23rd!”, the tweet read.

Taylor is the first ever GLOBAL Record Store Day Ambassador! We can’t wait to celebrate Record Store Day (Taylor’s Version) on April 23rd! ✨ #RSD2022 pic.twitter.com/rHO0UsK1BW — Taylor Nation (@taylornation13) January 20, 2022

What Does Record Day Celebrate?

The Record Day Store celebrates independent record stores. It symbolizes the significance of vinyl and records.

The inauguration of the events started in the United States and then kept on spreading.

With that said, how do you feel about Taylor being the RSD Ambassador?

Blur’s Damon Albarn says sorry to Taylor Swift after claiming she ‘doesn’t write her own songs’

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Damon Albarn has apologised to Taylor Swift ‘unreservedly and unconditionally’.

The Blur frontman, 53, incurred the wrath of the Lover hitmaker, 32, by downplaying her songwriting ability in a recent interview.

But after she called him out for his remarks, the singer took to Twitter on Monday and insisted he never wanted to ‘discredit’ her and blamed ‘clickbait’ for the interest surrounding his inaccurate wording.

Statement: Damon Albarn has apologised to Taylor Swift (pictured) ‘unreservedly and unconditionally’ for falsely calling her out for not writing her own music

I’m sorry, but… The singer took to Twitter on Monday to apologise but decided to blame clickbait for the interest in his words - despite saying them

Taylor retweeted a Los Angeles Times piece about Damon’s interview which read: ‘Albarn also spills his thoughts on some of today’s chart-topping music artists.

‘Billie Eilish? I think she’s exceptional.’

‘Taylor Swift? She doesn’t write her own songs.’

Taylor then wrote: ‘I was such a big fan of yours until I saw this. I write ALL of my own songs. Your hot take is completely false and SO damaging.

‘You don’t have to like my songs but it’s really f****d up to try and discredit my writing. WOW.

Candid: The Blur frontman, 53, incurred the wrath of the Lover hitmaker, 32, by downplaying her songwriting ability in a recent interview

‘PS I wrote this tweet all by myself in case you were wondering.’

Damon replied: ‘I totally agree with you. I had a conversation about songwriting and sadly it was reduced to clickbait. I apologise unreservedly and unconditionally. The last thing I would want to do is discredit your songwriting. I hope you understand. - Damon’.

In the interview, the Parklife singer insisted he wasn’t ‘hating’ on Taylor but suggested collaborating with other songwriters was ‘very different’ to taking sole responsibility for her work.

He said: ‘She doesn’t write her own songs. Co-writing is very different to writing. I’m not hating on anybody, I’m just saying there’s a big difference between a songwriter and a songwriter who co-writes.’

Firing back: Taylor retweeted a Los Angeles Times piece about Damon’s interview which read: ‘Albarn also spills his thoughts on some of today’s chart-topping music artists’ (pictured in October 2021)

Damon went on to praise Billie Eilish, who writes her songs with her brother, Finneas.

He added: ‘A really interesting songwriter is Billie Eilish and her brother. I’m more attracted to that than to Taylor Swift. It’s just darker - less endlessly upbeat. Way more minor and odd. I think she’s exceptional.’

Damon - who has written all his own songs as a solo artist and for bands Blur and Gorillaz - has claimed his comment had been ’taken out of context and used as clickbait.

The British musician praised Billie Eilish as a ‘really interesting songwriter’ and her brother Finneas O’Connell.

‘I’m more attracted to that than to Taylor Swift. It’s just darker — less endlessly upbeat,’ he said of the Bad Guy hitmaker.

Taylor wrote: ‘I was such a big fan of yours until I saw this. ‘I write all of my own songs. Your hot take is completely false and so damaging. You don’t have to like my songs but it’s really f**ked up to try and discredit my writing. Wow’

Opinion: In the interview, Damon said he wasn’t ‘hating’ on Taylor but suggested collaborating with other songwriters was ‘very different’ to taking sole responsibility for her work

Although Billie and Taylor have yet to collaborate, the women have been seen hugging at events and cheered each other during their respective 2021 Grammy Awards performances.

In 2019, Billie thanked Taylor for ’taking care of her’ and breaking barriers as a woman in the music industry while accepting Billboard’s woman of the year award.

Ultimately, Taylor said she, Lana Del Rey, Billie, and Lizzo and other female musicians ‘could’ve’ been crushed by the pressure, but it made them diamonds.

Record producer and songwriter Jack Antonoff, who has worked with Taylor for seven years, jumped to her defense just minutes after she tweeted.

‘If you were there … cool … go off. if not … maybe … shut the f**k up? the 37-year-old songwriter fired on his own Twitter.

Alternative: The British musician went on to praise Billie Eilish (seen in 2020) as a ‘really interesting songwriter’ and her brother Finneas O’Connell

That same night, Taylor called out ’toxic male privilege’ and how ‘women in music are not allowed to coast.’

‘We are held at a higher, sometimes impossible-feeling, standard,’ she said during her speech, which received a standing ovation.

She went on to slam those that claimed, earlier in her career, that ‘a male producer or co-writer’ was responsible for her success.

‘In the last 10 years, I have watched as women in this industry are criticized and measured up to each other and picked at for their bodies, their romantic lives, their fashion,’ she continued.

Antonoff, 37, went on to say he has ’never met Damon Albarn’ and says the artist has ’never’ been to his studio, where he has worked on every one of Taylor’s albums since 2014.

‘But apparently he knows more than the rest of us about all those songs Taylor writes and brings in,’ he said.

Likes: Singer Katy Perry also liked Swift’s tweet to Damon, where she said she, ‘wrote this tweet all by herself’

Damon reportedly called Adele ‘very insecure’ and her work as ‘middle of the road’ back in 2015, the Easy on Me author told the Rolling Stones.

‘It ended up being one of those ‘don’t meet your idol’ moments,’ she said of his comments.

‘But it was sad, and I regret hanging out with him. He said I was insecure, when I’m the least-insecure person I know.’

Backup: Record producer and songwriter Jack Antonoff, who has worked with Swift for seven years, jumped to her defense

A number of others jumped to Taylor’s defense, such as Chile president Gabriel Boric Font, who said: ‘Here in Chile you have a huge group of supporters who konws that you write your own songs from the heart. Don’t take seriously guys that need to insult or lie to get attention. Hugs from the south Taylor.’

Singer Katy Perry also liked Taylor’s tweet to Albarn, where she said she, ‘wrote this tweet all by herself.’

Longtime Swift collaborator Aaron Dessner also called out Damon, stating, ‘Not sure why you @DamonAlbarn would try to discredit Taylor’s brilliant songwriting but as someone who’s gotten to press a record around her… your statements couldn’t be further from the truth… you’re obviously completely clueless as to her actual writing and work process.’

Chile: A number of others jumped to Swift’s defense, such as Chile president Gabriel Boric Font, who said, ‘Here in Chile you have a huge group of supporters who konws that you write your own songs from the heart. Don’t take seriously guys that need to insult or lie to get attention. Hugs from the south Taylor’

Aaron speaks out: Longtime Swift collaborator Aaron Dessner also called out Albarn, stating, ‘Not sure why you @DamonAlbarn would try to discredit Taylor’s brilliant songwriting but as someone who’s gotten to press a record around her… your statements couldn’t be further from the truth… you’re obviously completely clueless as to her actual writing and work process.

Journalist CJ Farley added, ‘I’ve interviewed everyone from Bob Dylan to Aretha Franklin to Jay-Z. @taylorswift13 is definitely a genius songwriter and one of the smartest artists I’ve ever met. Kind of gross that someone would challenge that.’

Record producer Nathan Chapman quote-retweeted Taylor’s tweet to Albarn, adding, ‘YES. @taylorswift13 1,000,000% writes her own songs. And she’s one of the best songwriters of our time.’

Another record producer, Joel Little, added, ‘Just to confirm what 99% of people already knew, @taylorswift13 is a force of nature in the studio and one of the best to ever do it. Anyone who’s made music with her knows they were lucky to be in the room.’

CJ speaks: Journalist CJ Farley added, ‘I’ve interviewed everyone from Bob Dylan to Aretha Franklin to Jay-Z. @taylorswift13 is definitely a genius songwriter and one of the smartest artists I’ve ever met. Kind of gross that someone would challenge that’

Nathan: Record producer Nathan Chapman quote-retweeted Taylor’s tweet to Albarn, adding, ‘YES. @taylorswift13 1,000,000% writes her own songs. And she’s one of the best songwriters of our time.’

Confirm: Another record producer, Joel Little, added, ‘Just to confirm what 99% of people already knew, @taylorswift13 is a force of nature in the studio and one of the best to ever do it. Anyone who’s made music with her knows they were lucky to be in the room.’

The Tidal music streaming app shared screengrabs of Swift’s solo writing credits and added, ‘Can confirm Taylor’s pen game is strong.’

Billboard’s Senior Director, Music, Jason Lipshutz added, ‘More than anything, ‘She doesn’t write her own songs’ is just the STRANGEST criticism one could lob at Taylor Swift without any actual evidence in an on-the-record interview. It’s like deciding not to say ‘I don’t like ice cream,’ and instead saying ‘Ice cream is actually warm.’’

Singer-songwriter Maisie Peters said that, ‘Taylor Swift could write Song 2 but Damon Albarn could never write All Too Well 10 Minute Version.’

Pen game: The Tidal music streaming app shared screengrabs of Swift’s solo writing credits and added, ‘Can confirm Taylor’s pen game is strong’

Billboard: Billboard’s Senior Director, Music, Jason Lipshutz added, ‘More than anything, ‘She doesn’t write her own songs’ is just the STRANGEST criticism one could lob at Taylor Swift without any actual evidence in an on-the-record interview. It’s like deciding not to say ‘I don’t like ice cream,’ and instead saying ‘Ice cream is actually warm’’

How Do We Feel About the Polian Process? Cowboys Drama, Giants and Vikings Impact on Chicago, and Other Bears Bullets

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TikTok gets a bad rap from time to time, but it confirmed something I already knew to be true in my heart — Taylor Swift’s music is a certified mood-lifter. Don’t give me that look. Send all your ire to British researchers, who found out this wonderful development.

• Twelve days after firing Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy, the Chicago Bears have yet to name a replacement for either. Since the search process began 10 days ago, the Bears have officially had interviews with eight head coach candidates and 11 aspiring general managers. Is this good? Bad? The new norm? Admittedly, I’m angsty. And I imagine part of it is due to the inevitability of the thing. Let’s face it. The end of the Pace-Nagy era has felt inevitable going on a year now. We’ve been thinking about new leadership in the front office going on 13 months. And pushing the coach aside has been on our radar since September. Since we’ve been expecting it for so long, maybe it shouldn’t be surprising that a search for new leadership going into a third week is something that us (as a collective).

• I think there is value in a thorough process. Sure, this one is equal parts exhaustive and exhausting — but it feels necessary. The Bears have long been needing a more expansive understanding of modern football. So, in that vein, I think it is important that they have cast a wide net. Get some depth and perspective from candidates in better-run organizations. Pick some brains. Unearth some relevant information you can apply to your own franchise. Maybe even get to know some names of people you should check in with to better yourself. Perhaps it shouldn’t take THIS long. But I’m curious to see what kind of result this process spits out.

• One thing feels certain — if the Bears have eyes on particular candidates, they should pick up the pace. Which is ironic, in a way, because they had to drop Pace to get to this point. Only the Bears

• But seriously, the Giants and Vikings could push the envelope here. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports Brian Daboll, Leslie Frazier, Brian Flores, and Dan Quinn are on New York’s head coach watch list. Meanwhile, the Vikings have already met with GM candidates Eliot Wolf and Glenn Cook, reportedly have Ryan Poles as a finalist, and had interviews with coaching candidates such as Quinn and Todd Bowles. Crossover was inevitable between the three searches. However, business figures to only pick up from here.

• Things could be worse for the Bears. They could be doing this:

The #Panthers are expected to hire former #Giants HC and ex-#Packers OC Ben McAdoo as their offensive coordinator, sources say. They need to work out the contract, but there aren’t expected to be issues. McAdoo is back as an OC, where he initially rose to prominence. — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 21, 2022

• Is it too early to predict Ben McAdoo will be serving as the Panthers interim head coach? Because that’s usually the path this takes. The Matt Rhule experience hasn’t been a pleasant one. He has already fired one offensive coordinator, is stuck with Sam Darnold for another year, and his team’s best player is a running back who hasn’t played a full 16-game seasons since 2019. This looks like it has the makings of a recipe for disaster.

• Speaking of potential disaster, the Cowboys! Jerry Jones’ annual call out of his players and coaches after another disappointing season didn’t disappoint:

Jerry Jones is frustrated with Amari Cooper’s contract and relative production. — Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) January 21, 2022

Jerry Jones: “Amari Cooper should take half the field w/ him when he runs a route…a whole bunch of that defense ought to have to honor Cooper. He ought to be able to catch it in the middle when they’re going w/ him. Others do. You throw to people that are covered all the time.” — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) January 21, 2022

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones certainly did not give a ringing endorsement of Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff during his @1053thefan appearance this morning pic.twitter.com/lE1ZYYyOG4 — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) January 21, 2022

• From the I’m Not Sayin’, I’m Just Sayin’… folder: If Jerry Jones feels that strongly about Amari Cooper’s lack of production, Dallas can cut Cooper and create $16 million in cap space in the process. And at the cost of just a $6 million dead money hit, maybe it is worth it to Jones to shake things up in Dallas. Should that be the case, I know a place that could use a bonafide WR1 who has five 1,000-yard receiving campaigns in seven seasons as a pro.

• I hope the NFL is doing this for the right reasons and not in an attempt to skirt the possibility of COVID negatively impacting its playoffs:

The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to eliminate daily COVID-19 testing for the remaining unvaccinated players still in the playoffs. https://t.co/CEhVUejUuS — USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) January 22, 2022

• If you want promo offers for the divisional games this weekend, make sure you check out the ones we’ve got from FanDuel here and here, and from BetMGM here.

• The Packers being good is bad enough. But adding the Bucks and Brewers being on a competitive up-swing becomes increasingly annoying with each day that passes.

• Chicago’s basketball team could have eyes for adding size before the trade deadline:

Let’s take a look at some other frontcourt players who could prove useful additions to the Bulls: https://t.co/5XiMotVpJQ pic.twitter.com/ytcyCrHYbD — Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) January 21, 2022

• Oh, come on…

Euphoria co-stars dating, plus more celeb love news this week

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— The rumor mill went into overdrive after The Sun reported on Jan. 16 that Taylor Swift and her boyfriend of several years, Joe Alwyn, recently jetted off to St. Ives — a seaside town in Cornwall, England — for a romantic getaway. One alleged insider told the British tabloid that the vacation could be an indication that the couple either got engaged or are nearing an engagement: “To go that far just for a few days clearly meant a lot to them,” said the source. “It feels like things are getting more serious and people think an engagement could be on the cards. That could explain such a long journey to a specific place. Taylor is keeping her cards close to her chest, but they’re certainly very happy and enjoying their time together. Lockdown made things even more serious and they’ve lived together throughout.” If the duo — who’ve sparked several rounds of engagement and marriage rumors in recent years — are planning to tie the knot (or already did!), it’s unlikely the public will hear about it anytime soon. RELATED: Celebs who got engaged in 2022

— On Jan. 15, Deux Moi broke the news that, according to an anonymous source, “Bill Hader is dating Anna Kendrick.” The insider added that the “Saturday Night Live” alum and the “Pitch Perfect” actress have been an item “for the last couple of months.” Two days later, Deux Moi reported that, according to a second source, “They were filming a movie this past spring [and] summer, and they were dating back then.” (It’s unclear what project the pair — who previously portrayed siblings in the 2019 Disney Christmas movie “Noelle” — would’ve been shooting around that time.) On Jan. 20, however, People magazine reported that they’ve actually been a couple for much longer than that: “Anna has been dating Bill quietly for over a year,” said a source. “They met years ago. She’s hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’ and they’ve done a movie together, but they got together well after the movie. … They are both very private people, and with the pandemic it was easy to keep it quiet. They’re both hysterical so they must keep each other laughing all of the time. She’s really, really happy.” An Us Weekly source added that Bill and Anna are so serious, she’s “already bonded” with the three daughters he shares with his ex-wife, director-screenwriter Maggie Carey. “They’re really into each other and make each other laugh — a lot,” said the Us Weekly source. “They’re keeping their relationship private, but friends close to them know.”

— On the Jan. 16 episode of her “Whine Down” podcast, Jana Kramer opened up about how she met her new boyfriend, Ian Schinelli. Professional football player Andrew East — who’s married to Jana’s pal Shawn Johnson East — introduced them at a birthday party for the Easts’ daughter last October. (Ian and Andrew work out together.) “Andrew came over to me and was like, ‘Hey, there’s a guy here I want you to meet,’ and I’m like, ‘We’re at a 2-year-old kid’s party, what are you doing, please don’t try to set me up right now,’ and he’s like, ‘Seriously, he’s a really good dude, a Navy SEAL, he’s the guy in the orange shirt,’” she recalled. “I was like, ‘Shut up! I’ve been staring at him like this entire time!’” The rest is history!

— For weeks now, there have been whispers online that Hunter Schafer and Dominic Fike are quietly dating. On Jan. 16, the “Euphoria” co-stars were snapped holdings hands (with their fingers entwined!) at a restaurant in West Hollywood, seemingly confirming suspicions they’re more than friends.

— Christina Haack and her fiancé, Josh Hall, sparked rumors that they’d secretly tied the knot when they stepped out in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on Jan. 15. The duo were snapped packing on the PDA at the beach as the “Flip or Flop” star sported what appeared to be a wedding band alongside her massive engagement ring. Her beau, meanwhile, rocked some eyebrow-raising new body art: an infinity symbol on his ring finger. (See photos here.) If the duo did quietly exchange vows, it would be in keeping with the breakneck pace of their romance thus far: They got engaged in the summer of 2021 following a courtship of just a few months. On Jan. 17, Josh further fueled the secret-wedding talk by captioning a PDA-packed snap with the blonde beauty, “True love is rare, so go for it. Fear controls you, so face it. Time is precious, so indulge it. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Never settle for less than you deserve. We only get one life, so don’t waste a moment of it.” Christina was previously married to Tarek El Moussa for nearly a decade and then to Ant Anstead for less than two years.

— During a Jan. 18 interview with Us Weekly, Ant Anstead said that he and his girlfriend, Renee Zellweger, are “absolutely not” thinking about marriage at this point in their relationship. “What’s the rush?” he asked. Late last year, there were reports that the former “Wheeler Dealers” host and the Oscar-winning actress — who were first linked in June 2021 — were focused on hitting another milestone in their relationship: living together!

— On Jan. 17 — two days before her 40th birthday — Jodie Sweetin took to Instagram to announce that she and her boyfriend of about four years, Mescal Wasilewski, are engaged. “I love you Mescal, for always. You’re my person. I can’t wait to see the life that lies ahead for us. Here’s to us, @ghostfacelito and our life of adventures. Together. I think I’m really gonna like turning 40,” she captioned a selfie showing off her unique engagement bling. It’ll be the “Full House” star’s fourth marriage.

— During an interview with Marie Claire that debuted online on Jan. 18, Jenny Slate revealed that she quietly married Ben Shattuck in the living room at their home in Massachusetts on New Year’s Eve. “We were planning on a [wedding] that ended up being almost 200 people, and then now, it’s just our parents and siblings,” she said. “We each invited six friends… I actually like it. I like it better. I didn’t realize how the large thing was making me feel uncomfortable, a little bit. Just a little.” The duo announced their engagement in the summer of 2019 and welcomed a daughter in late 2020 or early 2021.

— On Jan. 20, “Downton Abbey” actress Michelle Dockery and Jasper Waller-Bridge — the little brother of actress and “Fleabag” and “Killing Eve” writer-producer Phoebe Waller-Bridge — publicly announced via London’s The Times newspaper that they’re engaged. “The engagement is announced between Jasper, son of Michael Waller-Bridge of King’s Lynn, Norfolk, and Teresa Waller-Bridge of Battersea, London, and Michelle, younger daughter of Michael and Lorraine Dockery of Gidea Park, Essex,” the traditional submission to the newspaper’s births, marriages and deaths column read. Michelle and Jasper, who’s worked in music management and is now a TV and film producer, have been dating since 2019. She was previously engaged to publicist John Dineen, who died in 2015 following a battle with cancer.

— On Jan. 13, Vogue broke the news that “Orange Is the New Black” alum Danielle Brooks recently married her partner of several years, Dennis Gelin, at the Alfred DuPont Building in Miami. (It’s unclear if they exchanged vows in late 2021 or in early 2022.) The Tony-nominated actress revealed on New Year’s Eve in 2019 — a little more than a month after they welcomed their daughter, Freeya — that they were engaged.

— On Jan. 18 — after weeks of rumors that he and Megan Thee Stallion had quietly parted ways — Pardison Fontaine took to his Instagram Story to make it clear they’re still going strong: “Been seeing the breakup rumors and was letting [your] imaginations run, but y’all getting too crazy. Ain’t give [anyone] a story, so they made one. We really been on it double time,” he wrote, adding a padlock emoji to indicate that he and his girlfriend of a year are keeping things on lock. Megan, meanwhile, has yet to address the split speculation.

On the Jan. 13 episode of the “BFFs With Dave Portnoy and Josh Richards” podcast, Zack Bia shot down recent rumors that he and Madelyn Cline are an item: “We are not dating,” he said, though he acknowledged that he and the “Outer Banks” actress “hang out all the time.” Explained the DJ-influencer, “I think, as someone like herself who is extremely busy and is going to start traveling — she’s on set five months out of the year — she has such a busy schedule and I think I have such a busy schedule. It is one of those things where we really enjoy hanging out and enjoy going to dinner. But we never officially started dating and probably will never officially stop because we are just hanging out. We are enjoying it and not even thinking about what it is.”

— What a difference a week makes! On the Jan. 17 episode of “Watch What Happens Live,” Carl Radke said that he and “Summer House” co-star Lindsay Hubbard are now officially a couple. “We’re girlfriend-boyfriend,” he said. (The publicist insisted just last week that they’d yet to label their relationship.) “I’ve really enjoyed where we are right now. We’re having a lot of fun. … We’re really happy. She’s my best friend, she’s got my back, and we respect each other, which I think is huge for a relationship,” he gushed, adding that things between them started turning romantic after they attended Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula’s September 2021 nuptials. “There were some feels, and I was looking at her differently. I was holding back a little bit just because I was scared, and it’s a scary thing pursuing your best friend,” he said.

— On Jan. 17, Bachelor Nation’s Derek Peth and model Saffron Vadher took to Instagram to announce that they secretly tied the knot more than a year ago. “Mr. & Mrs. Peth!!! 14/01/2021,” they captioned a joint post. “I love our life together,” the reality star added in the comments section, prompting his missus to respond, “I love u moreeee.” They got engaged in late 2020 — less than a year after they were first publicly linked.

— In other Bachelor Nation wedding news… Bachelor Nation’s Jordan Kimball married Christina Creedon at The Wynden in Houston, Texas, on Jan. 15. “It feels like it happened so fast,” the groom told Us Weekly following his nuptials. “I was blindsided by this love. She’s just the sweetest person. … I can’t handle how sweet, genuine and how true her heart is. I feel like I’m a protector. I’m here to support her. We always share different kind of perspectives, but coming from ‘The Bachelor’ to this, I would say that ‘The Bachelor’ kind of prepared me in a way that I was ready to take [marriage] seriously. … You can grow from anything. And I think that that’s what I’ve done, grown from it.” Jordan also shared a slideshow of wedding photos on Instagram along with the caption, “My Dear Christina, you are the blessing I’ve always prayed for, cheers to forever loving you! I love our unconditional and comforting love. I truly feel you were sent into my life from above, I promise you all of my affection for all of my years. I love you Mrs. Kimball, always.” The duo got engaged on Christmas Eve in 2020.

— Following a decade of coupledom and two engagements, “Family Karma” stars Vishal Parvani and Richa Sadana finally tied the knot at the TRS Coral Hotel in Cancun, Mexico, on Jan. 15. They took to Instagram to jointly share a slideshow of wedding photos along with the caption, “Husband and Wife. Love you for always. 1.15.2022. Thank you to all our friends and family, for all the love and support these past 10 years. We did it!”

— On Jan. 19, People magazine broke the news that Adam Rippon and Jussi-Pekka Kajaala secretly tied the knot in the Los Angeles area on New Year’s Eve. The Olympic figure skater and the Finnish real estate broker essentially eloped, exchanging vows in front of their officiant, a woman named Maria, and their pit bull mix puppy. “We always wanted to do something simple and just the two of us,” said the “Dancing With the Stars” alum. “We’ve been waiting to do it for a while and we always were like, ‘Let’s just go and do it and just have it be finished and we can finally be married.’” They got engaged in late 2020.

— On Jan. 12, People magazine broke the news that Pentatonix singer Matt Sallee married Sarah Bishop at Cielo Farms in Malibu on Jan. 2. “We both knew pretty much after our first date that the connection was rare and special,” said the bride and groom, who met in church two and a half years ago. “We’d both separately been praying for our life partners and knew that this wasn’t a coincidence, and our walk on the moonlit beach that night solidified it.”

— According to People magazine, singer-songwriter Meghan Linsey, who placed second on the eighth season of “The Voice” in 2015, eloped with longtime love Tyler Cain at Ironwoods Beach in Lahaina on Maui in Hawaii on Jan. 16. “We are just so excited to finally be married,” gushed the bride. “We’ve been together for 10 years in March and we are more in love now than we’ve ever been. We just knew if we don’t do it now, then when?” They got engaged in June 2019 and originally intended to tie the knot in April 2020 but were forced to push their nuptials amid the coronavirus pandemic.

— On Jan. 18, People magazine broke the news that “Straight Outta Compton” actor Keith Powers and “Star” actress Ryan Destiny recently called it quits after four years of coupledom. “They’re taking time to focus on themselves and their emerging careers but are remaining close friends,” said a source.

— According to People magazine, “Alaskan Bush People” star Bear Brown married Raiven Adams on Jan. 16. “It feels really good to be a married man, I’ve loved Raiven a long time and it’s a honor and a privilege to finally call her my wife. She is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and still takes my breath away! … I look forward to building a life, a family and a home with Raiven, she’s the love of my life and my heart belongs to her and her alone,” gushed the groom. The off-and-on couple got engaged in August 2019 and welcomed son River in early 2020.

— On Jan. 17, People magazine broke the news that “Suburgatory” and “Imposters” actor Parker Young married his partner of 16 years, Stephanie Weber, in the backyard of their home in California on the bride’s birthday in September 2021. The groom’s “United States of Al” co-star Adhir Kalyan officiated the intimate nuptials, which were actually a surprise to the bride: “I think when couples have been together for as long as we have it can be easy to get complacent and let the spark can fade. It’s important to keep things exciting,” explained Parker, adding that he and Stephanie “never really cared to have a fancy, showy, expensive wedding.” Said the newlywed, “All we need is each other. That’s all we’ve ever needed. We committed our lives to each other long ago, so really this was just semantics. … I had already made that commitment to Stephanie almost two decades ago when I met her in high school and asked her to be my girlfriend. We didn’t need any paperwork or documents to solidify our commitment or some grandiose event to make it official. I found my soul mate long ago and we determined to walk this life together hand in hand.” Stephanie, meanwhile, said that the impromptu wedding felt “like a dream” because “the man that I have been together with for 15 years is finally caving in and giving me my daughter’s last name.” They were also joined at the ceremony by their dog and their little girl’s babysitter. The high school sweethearts reportedly got engaged in March 2018 and welcomed daughter Jaxon Orion later that year.