Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness and frontman of Black Sabbath, has taken his secrets to the grave, but one of his most surprising confessions has come to light after his passing. 

Before his untimely death on July 22, Ozzy shared his genuine admiration for pop sensation Taylor Swift, despite his tongue-in-cheek comment at the 2014 Grammys that left many scratching their heads.

At the 56th annual Grammy Awards, Ozzy Osbourne, along with Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, collected the Best Metal Performance award for their song God Is Dead from the album 13. 

When asked if he was a fan of Taylor Swift, Ozzy initially confirmed, “Yes, I am a big fan of Taylor Swift.” However, he quickly added with a smirk, “Who the f**k is Taylor Swift?” 

This comment was likely a joke, considering Swift’s massive popularity at the time, with her album 1989 dominating the Billboard 200 chart for 11 weeks and producing three No 1 hits.

Despite his humorous remark, Ozzy had already met Taylor Swift and was genuinely impressed by her presence. Sharon Osbourne recalled a chance encounter between Ozzy, herself, and their daughter Kelly with Taylor in Los Angeles. 

According to Sharon, Ozzy praised Taylor, saying, “Finally, out of all the young, new artists, I’ve finally found one that is a true superstar… He said he’d never met anyone that had the aura that you have, because your aura is one of elegance, and just pure, just genuine talent.” 

Ozzy likened Taylor to iconic stars like Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn.

Meanwhile, the singer-songwriter has announced the release of her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, set to drop on October 3. The album features 12 tracks, including a duet with Sabrina Carpenter, and was written during her Eras Tour. 

Swift described the album as a reflection of her inner life during the tour, saying, “This album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour, which was so exuberant and electric and vibrant.”