Phil Collins has praised Taylor Swift, saying the pop superstar deserves her place at the top of the music world. Speaking to Vernon Kay on BBC Radio 2’s Tracks of My Years, Collins recalled meeting Swift at a Songwriters Hall of Fame event before she reached her current level of fame, and watching her perform “White Horse.”
“This very nice lady then got up on stage with a guitar and sang White Horse, and it blew me away completely,” Collins said. “Not only was the song great, and the sentiment of the song really got me, but she sang it beautifully. And it was just so simple, you know, her on a guitar.”
Collins said he has maintained a soft spot for the track since. “I’m so pleased that she’s the hugest thing in the world now because she kind of feels like she deserves it,” he said. “I mean it’s easy to knock someone that’s got so much success, but I think she really deserves it.”
The comments arrive during a landmark year for Collins, who will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2026—16 years after entering as a member of Genesis. Across his solo career he scored seven No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 during the 1980s, including “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now),” “One More Night,” “Sussudio” and “Groovy Kind of Love.”
Swift holds the record for the most No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 among soloists with 15. “White Horse,” which appeared on Swift’s 2008 album Fearless, won two Grammy Awards, including Best Country Song.
