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"Swiftie" Kelly Dombrowski joined 88 other fans in Taylor Swift's Tribeca apartment for a surprise listening party -- and homemade cookies -- on Oct. 3.Photo: Christian Johnston
When 20-year-old Iona College student Kelly Dombrowski listened to a cryptic voice message she received in late September, she had no idea it would lead to her hanging out with her idol Taylor Swift — in the music star’s Tribeca loft.
But she was intrigued enough to call back “Laura from taylorswift.com.”
That’s when she found out she had been invited to a Swift event — though details were vague. “They told us a time to meet, a place to meet and a secret password that we were supposed to tell people at the front desk,” Dombrowski recalls.
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Taylor Swift steps out after a late night entertaining fans at her home in Tribeca for her ‘1989’ secret listening session.Photo: Blayze / Splash News
So on Oct. 3, she found herself heading to a Holiday Inn in Soho, where she was instructed to tell the concierge she was with the “Crescent Moon Group.”
In the past two months, Swift has brought together a select group of “Swifties” — as her die-hard fans are known — to listen to her new album, “1989,” out this week. These secret sessions have been held in Swift’s homes across the nation — Rhode Island, Nashville, Los Angeles and NYC — as well as at a location in London.
Unbeknownst to Dombrowski, she was one of 89 fans — the number is a nod to the album’s title — invited to the New York installment. After supplying the password, attendees were checked for wires, then asked to sign a confidentiality agreement and hand over their phones and other electronic devices before boarding a bus at 5 p.m.
“We pulled up to an apartment, and Karlie Kloss, the Victoria’s Secret supermodel, was at the door waiting to go in!” Dombrowski recalls.
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Swift pretends to give fan Kelly Dombrowski her first Grammy award in a shot taken at the listening party.Photo: Polaroid courtesy of Kelly Dombrowski
That’s when fans began to suspect what was going on. Instructed to conceal their shrieks of excitement, they climbed the stairs to the top floor of a Tribeca building, where their suspicions were confirmed. They received the “rules” of the evening: Be respectful of Swift’s space, stay only on the first floor, and don’t reveal anything about the songs.
Then, they headed across the hall and into Swift’s apartment — outfitted with a beautiful piano, books whimsically displayed in birdcages, a signed Oscar de la Renta sketch of Swift’s 2014 Met Gala gown and lots of Le Labo candles, personalized to read “Taybeca” (a mash-up of “Taylor” and “Tribeca”).
“It was beautiful — everything was very antique yet new,” Dombrowski says. “It looked like an Anthropologie store, but prettier.”
The fans snacked on sushi, pizza bites and sliders while they explored the loft, petting Swift’s Insta-famous cat Meredith. Then, the show began. “Taylor came down the stairs, and we all erupted into giant screams,” Dombrowski says. “She welcomed us and then she brought Karlie Kloss down and said that her friend wanted to say hello, but had to get ready to go to work.”
Kloss departed, and the fans convened in Swift’s living room, where they sat on pillows surrounding the star, who coyly asked: “Is it OK if I play my new album for you all?”
As they soaked in the new music, Swift danced and lip-synched in her chair, excited when the fans caught on to catchy choruses.
“ ‘Welcome to New York’ was fun because it was the first song we got to listen to,” says Lauren Brereton, 18, a student at Ramapo College, who attended the event. “At one point in the song, she was giving us her vision for [her upcoming] tour.”
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Lauren Brereton’s prized Polaroid from her night with Taylor Swift.Photo: Courtesy of Lauren Brereton
Halfway through the album, Swift declared an intermission and brought out homemade chocolate-covered heart-shaped Rice Krispies treats and chocolate chunk-coconut cookies, as well as her new cat, Olivia.
Later, there was a dance party to “Shake It Off” and an opportunity to get a Polaroid taken with Swift, as the star’s parents and publicist mingled with the crowd.
Dombrowski — who produced a college musical centered around Swift’s songs — was surprised to find that her idol knew all about her. “She said to me, ‘You’re Kelly from Iona College, you produced the musical of me,’ and I was wonder-struck.”
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The 89 fans at the event received free swag from Swift’s team, including a special keychain labeled “1989 Listening Session, New York, NY”Photo: Christian Johnston
Dombrowski left around 11 p.m. with a “1989” swag bag and a coveted Polaroid of Swift handing her a Grammy.
While generous with her time, the pop star naturally benefits from the free publicity: Her biggest fans with a massive online presence won’t stop sharing about their perfect experience. They were also given an e-mail hotline to report any online leaks of the album prior to its release.
The public now has access to those coveted tracks. And for Dombrowski, that means finally an end to people on campus trying to get the scoop from her.
“It’s been a different experience on campus now, with everyone knowing I just met Taylor Swift. At first no one believed me, but I really feel blessed and lucky. It was a rare opportunity, and I got to be a part of it.”
Taylor Swift Explaining New York Vocabulary Is Beyond Cringeworthy
Posted: Updated:
Taylor Swift, the 24-year-old superstar who purchased a $20 million dollar Tribeca apartment in March, is now the Global Welcome Ambassador for New York City.
With her new song "Welcome To New York," the woman who has lived in NYC for less than a year is now qualified to give the low-down on the city to tourists and newcomers, because that makes sense.
One of Swift's duties as Global Welcome Ambassador was to participate in a series of such absolutely cringe-worthy videos.
Allow Swift, who originally hails from a Christmas tree farm in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania (before moving to Nashville as a teen), to school you on the vocabulary native to The Big Apple. (No one calls it The Big Apple, but she doesn't tell you that.)
Let Taylor Swift define the word "bodega" for you. It's painful, because, as she says, "Bodega's are our friends." Also, permit Swift to define the word "stoop" for you because NYC GO doesn't have much faith in you, apparently.
Head over to NYC GO to watch Swift inform you of important NYC vocabulary, andassure you that "people are very friendly and there's also a lot of heart here. And it's easy to get around. People will help you if you ask for help."
Trust her she's done it.
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