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By Megan Cartwright
Associate News Editor
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Taylor Swift posted a rare social media comment on Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean's Instagram this week.
Newsweek reached out to McLean's representative via email for comment on Tuesday.
Why It Matters
Swift's public presence on social media platforms is a notable event given her typically reserved approach to digital interaction. While she's been posting more frequently on her own accounts—following the release of her new album The Life of a Showgirl and her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce—it's not often the pop star takes part in online exchanges.
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What To Know
On Monday, McLean—a longtime member of the Backstreet Boys—shared a video of himself listening to a mashup of the boy band's hit "Everybody" and Swift's new tune "Elizabeth Taylor."
"Come on now you know one of us had to! @taylorswift!" the 47-year-old captioned the clip.
In the replies, the 14-time Grammy Award winner, 35, said: "OH HI AJ OH MY GOD."
At the time of publication, McLean's post racked up over 2.1 million views, and Swift's comment garnered over 89,000 likes and was quickly rising.
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Following her 21-month, record-breaking Eras Tour, Swift went on hiatus from social media and was rarely seen in public. The billionaire songstress didn't post on her Instagram grid from December 2024 to May 2025, when she announced she bought back the rights to the master recordings of her first six albums.
In May, Swift also "liked" a TikTok video celebrating Natalia Bryant's graduation from the University of Southern California. In the clip, the oldest daughter of Vanessa Bryant and late NBA star Kobe Bryant, mouthed Swift's “Nothing New” with a group of friends.
What People Are Saying
In the comments underneath McLean's Instagram, fans of both musicians praised the tune.
@87_dixon24 said in a message with 3,752 likes: "My Backstreet boys heart and taylor swift heart is so freakin happy."
@gabysuckling remarked in a post with 841 likes: "The collab I didn't know I needed! Need a full version now!"
@lipstickandlunges wrote in a note with 725 likes: "One step closer to this collab happening IRL."
@julierodgers12 shared in a reply with 204 likes: "It IS a killer mashup. My two favs @taylorswift @taylornation @backstreetboys."
@anniswildestdreams added in a line with 50 likes: "You ICON."
What Happens Next
The Backstreet Boys recently added new dates to their "Into the Millennium" residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, which kicked off in July. Due to high demand, the "I Want It That Way" hitmakers will be performing in December, January and February.
During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show on October 3, Swift addressed her upcoming wedding to Kelce: "I just am doing the album thing now, which is a big thing, and then I think the wedding is what happens after that in the scheme of the planning."
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