Another win for Taylor Swift!
The 25-year-old "Bad Blood" singer won eight out of her 14 nominations at Sunday's Billboard Music Awards, and on Monday morning, Maxim magazine revealed that it has chosen her to top its annual Hot 100 list for the very first time! Swift follows in the famous footsteps of Candice Swanepoel (2014), Miley Cyrus (2013), Bar Refaeli (2012), Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (2011), Katy Perry (2010), Olivia Wilde (2009), Marisa Miller (2008), Lindsay Lohan (2007), Eva Longoria (2006 and 2005), Jessica Simpson (2004), Christina Aguilera (2003), Jennifer Garner (2002), Jessica Alba (2001) and Estella Warren (2000).
So, how does it feel to be named No. 1?
"It's really nice and such an incredible compliment," Swift admits. "This year has been my favorite year of my life so far. I got to make an album exactly the way I wanted to make it. I got to put it out exactly the way that I dreamed of putting it out. Every one of these kinds of whims and ideas came to fruition. The videos—I'm proud of those, I'm proud of the tour, I'm proud of the way this has all happened. In the midst of all that, this is really nice."
She adds, "It really feels like a wonderful celebration of my favorite year."
Of course, one of the reasons 2015 is Swift's "favorite year" is because she kicked off her 1989 World Tour in Tokyo May 5. "We've been in rehearsals for months, trying to get the live instrumental versions of these songs to as close to the album sounds as possible. And also you're lengthening things, creating mash-ups with things. It was fun to play around and get everything sonically right before we got on the actual stage and started doing the choreography," the "Blank Space" singer tells the publication. "But before all that—probably close to a year ago—we started setting the stage, so that was when the drawing started."
Swift adds, "Now all we have to do is actually...do the tour.
After nine days of hype, Swift debuted her star-studded "Bad Blood" music video Sunday night. It featured cameos from her best friends, including Jessica Alba, Lily Aldridge, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lena Dunham, Selena Gomez, Ellie Goulding, Gigi Hadid, Mariska Hargitay, Martha Hunt, Karlie Kloss, Kendrick Lamar, Ellen Pompeo, Serayah, Hailee Steinfeld, Hayley Williams and Zendaya.
How does she maintain her friendships when she's on the road?
"Thankfully, 10 years into my career now, I've learned how to work in a smarter way. You have to have time to breathe and have a happy life, and friendships are so important to me. Thankfully— thanks to the fans—now we get to play stadiums, so we do two or three stadium shows a week," the "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" singer says. "I'll see my friends in whichever city I'm closer to."
Maxim's June/July 2015 issue is on newsstands May 27.