Singer “Mette” opens for Taylor Swift on the Eras tour through London-Wembley
Taylor Swift ends Eras Tour in December
For Taylor Swift it is the end of an era.
Fox – LA
When Mette takes the stage at Wembley Stadium to open the first of Taylor Swift’s five shows on her Eras Tour, it won’t be her debut at one of the world’s most famous venues, but it will be the first time she’s stood there with a microphone in her hand.
From 2014, Mette toured the world with Pharrell Williams as part of his renowned dance group The Baes. Summer Sonic in Japan, Glastonbury in England and other huge festivals around the world – Mette has had numerous opportunities to perform in front of tens of thousands.
But when she joins the Eras Tour family on June 21, everything will be different.
“I will be so present on stage,” she says. “Twenty-five minutes will pass fast.”
Mette’s debut EP ‘METTENARRATIVE’ was released last autumn and spawned the world beat pop single ‘Mama’s Eyes’, which earned her a nomination for the prestigious Ivor Novello Award this year. Her single ‘Bet’ is a slice of irresistible dance pop with a funk groove, and she is preparing to release three more songs: ‘Muscle’, ‘Coming of Age’ and ‘Small World’.
But despite her rapid musical rise, her and Swift’s paths first crossed when both were exploring a film opportunity – the critically panned 2019 film adaptation of “Cats.”
So who is Mette and why did Swift choose her for a coveted opening slot?
Mette admires Taylor Swift’s “creative skills”
Mette, 33, says the combination of performing at a show with not only the biggest artist in the world, but also opening act Paramore, is “one of the many incredible circles of life that surround me right now.”
She remembers attending the Vans Warped Tour and seeing Paramore perform in the mid-2000s, and also remembers the year she turned 22, when she was at a dance camp in Duluth, Minnesota. Swift’s anthem honoring her age was ubiquitous on the radio at the time, and Mette would happily bounce around on her bed singing along.
Although she hasn’t seen the Eras Tour live yet—Mette plans to join the crowd as soon as possible after the performance—she has been following key moments online, closely observing Swift’s dancers and the woman in the spotlight.
“I really admire her work ethic,” Mette says of Swift. “Her creative power is incredible. People talk about the fan base, but it’s a true passion that connects people all over the world, and she expresses it in a three-and-a-half-hour show. She’s an athlete.”
More: Taylor Swift announces she will end the Eras Tour this year with Indianapolis as the final stop
Mette promotes inspiration from Beyoncé and Shakira
Born Mette Towley, she spent her childhood in the small town of Alexandria, Minnesota, and in Baltimore, where she attended dance camp and learned about musical theater through films like “Singin’ in the Rain.” It was there that Mette, whose Scandinavian name refers to her father’s roots, also found her “roots in the world of the performing arts.”
Mette grew up mixed-race in a provincial Midwestern neighborhood (her latest song, “Darling Drive,” recalls a place where she felt protected by her white father and black mother, but also endured “difficult and sometimes unfair” experiences), then found solace in the diversity of artier Baltimore. She describes her background as having “strong intersections.”
She listened to pop and rock, marveled at the genius of Prince, but also ran home from school to watch “TRL” on MTV and admired the women who ruled the video world at the time – Shakira, Destiny’s Child, Nelly Furtado, Gwen Stefani – and enjoyed their aura.
Beyoncé and Shakira left their mark on her creative brain and remain idols – Mette can remember Beyoncé’s “Ring the Alarm” – VMA performance with awe-inspiring clarity.
“They take up space in my head,” she says, laughing. “I’m always impressed by artists who keep evolving and letting their ideas flow when people say they’re too old or they’ve had a kid or whatever. It’s incredible to see artists I loved as a child continue to strive for excellence.”
The “Barbie” film opened Mette’s eyes to “how much fun making music can be”
Mette is still active in the film industry and appears briefly in the Greta Gerwig blockbuster “Barbie” as video girl Barbie, with a head of long black curls and a bright pink zip-up jacket with zebra stripes.
She says her current hairstyle is inspired by her celluloid counterpart, but she also learned deeper lessons from her month-plus time on set.
“Those costumes were so much fun and I achieved a certain level of camp that influenced my video for ‘Van Gogh,'” she says. “Working on that set showed me how much fun making music can be. I want to be taken seriously, yes, but the fun and the costumes and the hair and makeup…’Barbie’ was just a real inspiration for the look that I rock.”
Mette also remembers watching Gerwig quietly at work and wondering why the director never raised her voice to make a point.
“The way she referenced a scene in a movie like ‘The Wizard of Oz’ drew you in with what was going on in her head and brought it out of you. She is so talented, so smart, so badass,” says Mette. “I am so grateful for the people I have met on my journey through film, dance and music who are so inspiring but can be so humble at the same time.”
More: Taylor Swift’s ex Joe Alwyn breaks his silence about their split and “long, loving” relationship
Mette’s concert tour continues throughout the summer
Mette’s summer continues as she embarks on a festival tour across Europe and performs at Lollapalooza in Chicago in August.
Her second EP – which features the above singles – is out in a few months, and she’s excited about the “launching pad” her moment in the Swift universe could bring her.
“It’s really incredible to me that all these seeds I’ve planted are really starting to grow,” says Mette. “There are so many moments in my life that electrify me and make me believe in my journey.”
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