Trixie Mattel Says She’s Finally a Taylor Swift Fan Thanks to ‘Life of a Showgirl,’ Defends Chappell Roan

It only took 20 years, but Trixie Mattel is finally a Swiftie. On the latest episode of Takes Us Out, the drag icon and DJ revealed to Billboard that she’s now a Taylor Swift fan thanks to the pop superstar’s most recent album, The Life of a Showgirl.

Chatting with Tetris Kelly over sweets at California Donuts on Hollywood Boulevard, Mattel shouted out Swift’s 12-week Billboard 200-topper as an album she’s been loving lately. “I’m a new Swiftie,” the RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars winner began.

“I don’t want to be like an uncultured swine, but I think this album that everyone said wasn’t good is the first one I responded to,” she continued of Showgirl before calling out the LP’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits. “I really like it. ‘Fate of Ophelia,’ ‘Opalite,’ these singles — I was like, ‘This is amazing.'”

Elsewhere in the segment, Mattel revealed which Gen Z pop stars she’d like to see portray her in a biopic someday — “Dove Cameron and Sabrina Carpenter, I saw her on The Muppets” — and joked about the recent controversy surrounding Chappell Roan and soccer star Jorginho. “I was in Dollywood last weekend,” the musician said. “Imagine Disney with less kids — they have Chappell Roan come in and just kick everyone out. ‘All the kids gotta go!'”

Mattel’s remark pokes fun at the backlash Roan faced after Jorginho accused her of sending a bodyguard to scold his stepdaughter at a hotel breakfast, leading the Grammy winner to post a video clarifying that she didn’t even know the security personnel. “I do not hate people who are fans of my music,” Roan added at the time. “I do not hate children.”

In all seriousness, Mattel pointed out on Takes Us Out, “They never talk about men not being nice to kids.”

Fresh off the release of her new single “Hella Good” featuring Bonnie McKee, Mattel first started DJing during the COVID-19 pandemic. She’s now a regular at major music festivals, and she’s currently gearing up to play Lightning in a Bottle in California this May. After that, she’ll perform at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Osheaga, Capitol Hill Block Party and Outside Lands.

Before launching her career in dance music, Mattel said she worried that people might not see her as a legitimate musician due to her drag artistry. “When I first started making music, playing my guitar and stuff, I was desperately interested in everybody taking me seriously,” she told Billboard. “I used to be like, ‘It’s not a drag show, I’m a musician.’ Now I’m like, ‘It’s a drag show.’ Because the truth is: It’s all a drag show!”

Check out Mattel’s full episode of Takes Us Out above.