NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Is a Certified Swiftie With 12 Faves to Prove It

New York City has a new mayor, a looming wedding of the century, and apparently, a Taylor Swift superfan sitting in Gracie Mansion. Zohran Mamdani isn't just familiar with the pop megastar's radio hits — he's gone deep into the vault, and his playlist proves it.

A Mayor With Impeccable Taste (Or at Least Swiftie Credentials)

When a journalist from the New York Times started pulling at a thread about Mamdani's connection to Taylor Swift, what unraveled wasn't a casual listener's top five — it was a full dozen songs that only someone who's truly in it would reach for. According to Consequence, the Times' Emma G. Fitzsimmons traced Mamdani's Swift obsession back to 2021, when a whopping twelve of her tracks cracked his 100 most-streamed songs of the year. That's not a phase. That's a lifestyle.

His list spans eras, moods, and fanbases within the fanbase:

• "Only the Young"
• "Love Story"
• "my tears ricochet"
• "I Forgot That You Existed"
• "Dress"
• "Cruel Summer"
• "Delicate"
• "I Know Places"
• "I Don't Wanna Live Forever"
• "I Think He Knows"
• "London Boy"
• "august"

From the anthemic political charge of "Only the Young" to the lush, lovelorn heartbreak of "my tears ricochet" and the sun-drenched nostalgia of "august" — this is a man who has done the work.

The Wedding Question That Started It All

The whole discovery has a delightfully New York origin story. With the city buzzing about Taylor Swift's anticipated wedding to Travis Kelce — widely reported to be going down July 4th weekend, with festivities kicking off July 2nd and the main event on July 3rd — Mamdani was asked last month whether he'd be on the guest list. He said he wouldn't be attending, but added that he planned to listen to "Only the Young" in the couple's honor. That little detail was all the Times needed to go digging.

If you're curious about just how Travis Kelce went from slow texter to Swift's groom, the road there has been quite the ride — and apparently the whole city is invested, right up to the mayor's office. There's also no shortage of star power reportedly headed to the celebration, with Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw set to perform at the wedding, which would make the whole affair feel like a once-in-a-generation event.

Deep Cuts and Diehard Devotion

What separates Mamdani's list from a casual fan's Spotify shuffle is the presence of genuine deep cuts. "I Know Places" — a paranoid, cinematic sprint from 1989 — isn't something casual listeners stumble onto. Neither is "I Think He Knows," the playful, rhythmically infectious Lover track that rewards close listeners. And "Dress"? That's a track Swifties hold close. The mayor isn't skimming surfaces; he's swimming.

It's worth noting that Swift's music has been making waves far beyond pop charts. "Only the Young" — the very song Mamdani pledged to spin on the couple's wedding weekend — was recently recognized among tracks featured on Consequence's 250 Songs That Argue for a Better America, underscoring its resonance as something more than a bop.

New York's Soundtrack

There's something fitting about New York City's mayor being a card-carrying Swiftie. Swift has long had a complicated, passionate love affair with the city — it's in her music, her interviews, her identity as an artist. Madison Square Garden, the rumored wedding venue, is practically a Swift landmark at this point.

And while Swift and Kelce haven't made any official public announcements about the wedding details, the city — and apparently its mayor — is already tuned in, pressed, and ready. Mamdani might not have a seat at the table, but he'll be marking the occasion the only way a true Swiftie knows how: with the perfect song queued up.

Related on Ni4o: How Travis Kelce Went From Slow Texter to Swift's Groom