Catherine McGrath was too "starstruck" and speechless to tell her hero Taylor Swift how much she has inspired her.
The rising Northern Irish country pop star has had the opportunity to meet the ‘Delicate’ hitmaker on several occasions, but every time she chickens out on having a proper chat with the superstar.
She told the Daily Star newspaper: "If I met Taylor again, I’d actually like to speak this time! The last time, I just cried the whole time.
"When I saw Taylor’s tour recently, I thought: ‘Maybe I’ll be more together this time.’
"But she still has me completely starstruck."
The 21-year-old singer – described by Sir Elton John as the new Taylor – has revealed it was the ‘Shake It Off’ hitmaker who first got her into the genre.
On what she would say to her idol, she said: "Country music has helped me put my own story out there, put it into songs.
"I’d love to tell Taylor how much her music inspired me and for introducing me to country – if I could get the words out, that’s what I’d tell her."
Meanwhile, the ‘Lost In The Middle’ singer – who released her debut album ‘Talk Of This Town’ in July – previously admitted she’ll "never get used to" hearing fans sing her songs.
She told BANG Showbiz: "It’s always a shock when I hear people singing along to my songs. No matter how many times it happens I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.
"Especially at these headline shows. Everyone knows the words and I’m always like, ‘How?’
"You see numbers and are pleased people are listening but whenever you see them singing your words in real life, you’re like, ‘Woah, there really are people listening.’ It’s just such a shock but it’s really exciting.
"A lot of the times the lyrics are just random things I write into my notes on my phone, then we talk about it and make it a song.
"So to go from a studio talking about a break-up to seeing people singing it back to me it’s just amazing."
Catherine’s next big gig is at RiZE Festival at Hylands Park in Chelmsford, Essex, on August 17.
Catherine McGrath rendered speechless by hero Taylor Swift
