NYC & Company, the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, on Monday announced Taylor Swift as the Global Welcome Ambassador of the city for 2014–2015, coinciding the release of her new album, 1989, which begins with the song, "Welcome to New York."
As part of the collaboration, the global tourism campaign - Welcome To New York – named after Taylor Swift's new song by the same name, will use the song from the album, 1989, to celebrate and invite the world to the city.
"New York kind of pulled me here like a magnet," Swift said in a promotional video. "I was intimidated by the fact that it was bright and bold and loud, and now I know that I should run towards things like that. I should run towards things that are absolutely, overwhelmingly electric."
The 24-year-old singer, who was raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, moved to Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 14 to pursue her music career before relocating to New York City in March this year.
Written by Taylor Swift and Ryan Tedder, and produced by Ryan Tedder, Noel Zancanella and the singer herself, "Welcome To New York" was made available on iTunes and her official website on 21 October ahead of the release of her album, 1989.
"I started the album with 'Welcome To New York' because New York has been an important landscape and location for the story of my life in the last couple of years," Swift had said in a release obtained by Billboard. "It's like an electric city, and I approached moving there with such wide-eyed optimism. I saw New York as a place of endless potential and possibilities and you can hear that reflected in this music and in this song."
Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company, said in a statement that they are pleased to work with Taylor Swift.
"New York City is a truly welcoming city, and "Welcome To New York" perfectly exemplifies the unrivaled hospitality, energy and excitement that can be felt throughout all five boroughs," said Dixon. "We are pleased to work with Taylor Swift to welcome visitors from around the world, as she was welcomed this year, and couldn't have asked for a better synergy between Taylor and NYC & Company to tell our story about what makes New York City, New York City."
Emily K. Rafferty, Chairman of the Board of NYC & Company and President of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also said that the song "Welcome To New York" is a perfect anthem for New York City.
