How Taylor Swift Inspired Saleka Night Shyamalan in ‘Trap’

In Trap, Saleka Night Shyamalan takes on the role of a pop star reminiscent of Taylor Swift. Speaking at the premiere of Trap, Shyamalan expressed her admiration for Swift, calling her “something for women to aspire to be” due to her business acumen.

Shyamalan shared how Swift significantly influenced her performance in the film. She recorded and performed songs specifically for the movie. “She’s not just a singer and an entertainer you see on stage, she’s a boss,” Saleka said, emphasizing Swift’s multifaceted talent. “So I think we thought a lot about that.”

Saleka also cited Rosalia and Billie Eilish as key influences for her on-stage persona. She acknowledged her natural introversion and shyness, explaining how watching performance videos of these artists helped her channel the confidence required to perform onstage. “I watched a lot of videos of Rosalia performing on stage, and Billie Eilish, and just artists that I love,” she said. “For me, walking out on stage with confidence is not something that comes naturally, so I was trying to channel all of the beautiful pop stars of our generation.”

Trap is M. Night Shyamalan’s newest movie, with Josh Hartnett starring as a serial killer who attends a Lady Raven (Saleka Night Shyamalan) concert with his daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue). During the concert, the killer realizes it is a setup orchestrated by the police to capture him.

This film marks Shyamalan’s return to Warner Bros., after a series of five films with Universal Pictures, including titles like The Visit, Split, Glass, Old, and Knock at the Cabin. The last time Shyamalan worked with Warner Bros. was in 2006 for Lady in the Water. Trap also introduces his eldest daughter, Saleka, as an actress, making her debut in this film. Saleka, already an established singer-songwriter with a studio album, two EPs, and several singles, has previously written and recorded music for her father’s projects, including Servant and Old.

The name Taylor Swift needs little introduction. She is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and an unrivaled global superstar. Swift recently released her eleventh studio album of original material, The Tortured Poets Department, marking her fifteenth overall. She is currently on the “Eras” tour, which has become the highest-grossing tour ever.

The “Eras” tour is a comprehensive celebration of Taylor Swift’s extensive discography, with the performance running for three hours and featuring 45 songs from nearly all of her albums. Each album gets its own dedicated segment, or era, in the show. The tour’s setlist does not strictly follow the chronological order of her career. It starts with Lover and concludes with Midnights, with iconic hits like “Love Story” and “Shake It Off” performed in between.

The tour commenced on March 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona, with the first year primarily covering North America. Toward the end of the year, Swift performed in Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. Now, she is on the European leg of the tour, with upcoming shows in Munich, Germany, followed by Poland, Austria, and England for a total of 11 performances. After Europe, Swift will return to North America to complete the final 18 shows of the tour.

Source: People, Clutchpoints