Taylor Swift Says It's Taken 'Forever' to Get Post Malone to Stop Calling Her 'Ma'am' as They Accept 2024 VMA

Mar. 15, 2025

Post Malone and Taylor Swift on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.Photo:Mike Coppola/Getty

Mike Coppola/Getty

As the pair accepted the night’s first award, Swift thanked the 10-time Grammy nominee for his contributions to the duet. “It’s so amazing to have the opportunity to thank and honor the people who worked so hard with me on this video,” she said.

TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty

“There is a very clear reason why Post Malone is everyone in music’s favorite person to collaborate with,” she continued. “It is because you are so ridiculously talented. You are so versatile, and you’re the most down-to-earth person.”

“Honestly, so unfailingly polite. It has taken me forever to get him to stop calling me ma’am,” she joked in her portion of the speech about the 29-year-old musician’s formality. “So, do you want to say something, Austin?”

The “Circle” singer quipped back, “Yes ma’am.”

Taylor Swift on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

“Taylor is, um,” said the rapper, who was then left speechless before adding: “An absolute loss for words. One of the most kind and talented people I’ve ever had the honor of knowing.”

“Just the amount of work and care and love that she puts into everything she does,” he said before recalling a moment from the “Fortnight” music video. “I watched her tied up to the like operating table thing in the music video, and she was just directing the music video from there, and it was pretty badass.”

Swift’s shoutout to the rapper’s polite demeanor comes months after she shared a peek at the two musicians' dynamic on the set of the music video. In a behind-the-scenes clip shared in June, the duo breaks down the scene’s concept, and the “Sunflower” musician repeatedly tells his collaborator, “Yes, ma’am,” as he listens to her ideas.

Taylor Swift.Kevin Mazur/Getty

Kevin Mazur/Getty

Both Swift and Malone were the two leading artists with the most nominations, with Swift leading the pack with10 nominations, and Malone coming in right behind with nine nominations.

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source: people.com