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Taylor Swift, Khalid to perform at 2019 TIME 100 gala

By Annie Martin   |   April 17, 2019 at 9:32 AM
Taylor Swift attends the iHeartRadio Music Awards on March 14. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI Khalid attends the Academy of Country Music Awards on April 7. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI Taylor Swift attends the InStyle and Warner Bros. Golden Globes after-party on January 6. File Photo by Christine Chew/UPI Khalid attends the Y100 Jingle Ball concert on December 16. File Photo by Gary I. Rothstein/UPI

April 17 (UPI) -- Taylor Swift and Khalid will perform at the 2019 TIME 100 gala this month.

TIME announced Wednesday the 29-year-old pop star and 21-year-old singer will take the stage at the event April 23 in New York.

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Swift and Khalid both appear on this year's TIME 100, a list of the most influential people across the globe. Swift's friend and fellow singer Shawn Mendes praised the star in an essay for TIME published Wednesday.

"Taylor makes the job of creating music for millions of people look easy. It all comes from her -- her belief in magic and love, and her ability to be as honest and raw as possible," Mendes wrote.

"Taylor makes anyone older feel young again and anyone young feel they can do anything. It's so rare and so special. It there is one thing I want to achieve in my career and life, it's that," he added.

Singer Alicia Keys similarly lauded Khalid, who was nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, in 2018.

"He's a beautiful writer with the ability to take human concepts and make you understand and feel them," Keys wrote. "He has a full, powerful voice that is somehow unassuming and smooth at the same time. He's accessible -- almost like you've met somebody like him before, although there's nobody else like him."

Swift last released the album Reputation in November 2017. She discussed her writing process in an essay for Elle U.K. in February, saying nostalgia is a major inspiration for her songs.

Khalid is known for the singles "Love Lies," "East Side," "Saturday Nights" and "Talk." He released his second studio album, Free Spirit, this month.