Pop icon Taylor Swift has been crushing it in the music world for years now. Her catchy songs and the lyrics get the listeners right in the feels. However, among her many award-winning songs, Shake It Off is like the ultimate anthem to forget the negativity.
On the other hand, Lupita Nyong’o who rose to fame with 12 Years a Slave and Black Panther, did a movie back in 2019 called Little Monsters. The movie was a mix of horror and comedy, and it’s got Shake It Off in it, but not in the way most would expect.
How Shake It Off Made Its Way Into Little Monsters?
Little Monsters isn’t a typical zombie movie. It’s more like, what if zombies invaded a kindergarten field trip? Lupita Nyong’o plays the role of a teacher, Miss Caroline, who’s just trying to keep her young students alive and safe during the zombie invasion.
The makers of the movie really wanted to use Shake It Off, but it wasn’t just for fun. They wanted Miss Caroline to use it to keep the kids calm while there were zombies outside. But the problem was that they couldn’t get the rights or permission to use the song.
The makers had probably just given up and picked a different song. But Nyong’o decided to take matters into her own hands and reach out to Taylor Swift herself. She spilled the beans about this on First We Feast’s Hot Ones. Nyong’o revealed that she had written a personal letter to Swift.
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.
Netizens have reacted to her revelation about her being a true Swiftie and how Swift helped her get the song.
she’s such a girl’s girl pic.twitter.com/SXj31FGuoy
— Rickon | Babe TV Enthusiast (@rickonball) June 27, 2024
I think it was her legal team denied it. Not Taylor. Taylor always supports a fellow woman. ❤️
— Yellow Bird (@YellowLove243) June 27, 2024
thats her sister
— Journey Through Time (@JrnyThroughTime) June 27, 2024
she’s so real because shake it off really does hold the depression off https://t.co/QGKUqUAnT2
— emily (@woodvalemp3) June 28, 2024
Taylor IS a girls girl
— Alex (Taylor's Version) 🩶 (@AlexStarlight13) June 27, 2024
It was a bold move by Nyong’o, but it worked. Lupita’s initiative and Taylor’s kindness made this amazing scene in Little Monsters where Miss Audre Caroline is playing Shake It Off on the ukulele to keep the kids happy while zombies are lurking outside.
How Shake It Off Helped Lupita Nyong’o in Her Tough Time?
Shake It Off meant so much to Nyong’o in the first place, as it helped her through a pretty rough patch in her career. In the First We Feast interview, she shared that when she was working on Star Wars in London and dealing with a lot of self-doubt. It was only the second big thing she’d done after her Oscar-winning role in 12 Years a Slave, and the pressure was getting to her.
When I was working in London on Star Wars, I was going through a lot of self-doubt because it was the second thing I had done. I was getting a little depressed. My best friend came to London, and Taylor had just released ‘Shake It Off,’ and he played it for me to get me into better spirits.
Nyong’o revealed that the mood of the song lifted her spirits as she danced and jumped on her bed. This personal connection to the song is what made her so determined to have it in Little Monsters. It wasn’t just about having a catchy tune.
Nyong’o’s love for Swift didn’t stop there. In 2023, she attended one of the Eras Tour concerts. But she had just strained her vocal cords while working on the animated movie The Wild Robot. In her appearance at Late Night With Seth Meyers, she revealed that she went to the concert wearing a homemade sign that said, “I am on vocal cord rest.”
The Black Panther actress hasn’t had the chance to thank Swift in person for letting them use Shake It Off in Little Monsters. But given how much of a fan she is, it might be a matter of time before the fans of both entertainers see them on screen together.
Little Monsters is now available on Hulu, Prime Video, and Netflix.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Lupita Nyong’o personally contact Taylor Swift for Little Monsters?
The 2019 horror-comedy’s producers couldn’t secure the rights to Swift’s “Shake It Off” through normal channels, so Lupita Nyong’o decided to reach out herself. She wrote to Swift directly, explaining what the song meant to her personally rather than simply requesting a standard licensing deal, and the approach worked where the official process had stalled.
What personal story did Nyong’o share with Taylor Swift about the song?
Nyong’o told Swift that “Shake It Off” had helped her through a difficult period of self-doubt while filming Star Wars in London after her Oscar-winning debut. She said her best friend played the song to lift her spirits, and dancing to it in her room helped pull her out of a low emotional point.
How is the song used in the finished film?
In Little Monsters, Lupita Nyong’o’s character, kindergarten teacher Miss Caroline, plays “Shake It Off” on a ukulele to comfort her students during a zombie outbreak on a school field trip. The lighthearted needle-drop softens an otherwise tense survival scenario and became one of the film’s most memorable scenes. Little Monsters is available to stream on Hulu.
