Lupita Nyong’o personally reached out to Taylor Swift to have Shake it Off on Little Monsters

Lupita Nyong’o has revealed a personal connection to Taylor Swift’s song “Shake It Off” and her attempts to feature it in her film "Little Monsters."

During her appearance on the latest Hot Ones episode, the star of "A Quiet Place: Day One" talked about featuring Swift’s popular single at the conclusion of her 2019 film "Little Monsters" for a sing-along.

Sean Evans asked if it was accurate that the actress contacted the music superstar directly for permission to use the song after the film's producers did not.

“Correct. Yes,” Nyong'o confirmed.

While filming Star Wars in London, Nyong'o recalled experiencing significant self-doubt as it was only her second project.

I was feeling down. My close friend visited me in London, and Taylor had just dropped ‘Shake It Off.’ He played it to cheer me up, and we ended up dancing on my bed, which really boosted my mood.

After reading the script for Little Monsters, Nyong'o thought about the song and its significance to Miss Caroline and the kindergartners. She felt privileged to play it on the ukulele and connect with its meaning.

Upon discovering they couldn't secure the rights to Swift's song from the album "1989," Nyong'o personally approached Swift, sharing how the song had supported her through a difficult period and pitching her the film's story.

“When they came, and they told me, ‘Aw, no we can’t get the rights,’ I decided, ‘OK. I’m going to go, I’m going to make a pitch, I’m going to let Taylor know what this song means to me,’ and I told her that story about how it lifted me from an almost depression, and the next thing I knew, it was cleared,” she said.

Nyong'o's upcoming role is in "A Quiet Place: Day One," a prequel to the 2018 film "A Quiet Place," where she stars alongside Joseph Quinn from "Stranger Things."