Exclusive: What Taylor Swift And Jay-Z’s Grammys Toast To Beyoncé Really Means, According To A Body Language Expert…. Check In

Sunday night’s Grammy Awards were filled with big moments, but Beyoncé finally winning Album of the Year was a massive highlight. The singer has repeatedly been snubbed for AOTY, despite nabbing the most Grammys of all time. Beyoncé even joked about that during her acceptance speech, saying, “It’s been many, many years.”

But one of the sweetest moments of the night actually happened off of the Grammys stage. After Queen Bey’s win, cameras caught Taylor Swift—who was also nominated for Album of the Year—and Beyoncé’s husband Jay-Z sharing a smile and a toast.

As you might remember, Taylor was left stunned in 2009 when Kanye West hopped onstage at the VMAs, saying that Beyoncé should have won Taylor’s award for best female video. When Beyoncé later won video of the year, she invited Taylor “to come out and have her moment.” The two have publicly supported each other ever since.

So, how does that toast fit into their friendship timeline? Here’s what Taylor and Jay-Z’s gesture really means, according to body language expert Patti Wood.

They’re both happy for Beyoncé in their own ways.
Taylor’s body language here is telling, Wood says. “Her head is sideways and her chin is jutted out in a way that suggests she wants to say, ‘Come on!’” to celebrate her friend, Wood says. Basically, she’s trying to pump up the people around her to feel as excited as she does.

Taylor’s elbow is “unusually high” in a way that says, “I’m celebrating you,” Wood adds.

Jay-Z’s smile is more shy, but Wood says that it’s an “interpersonal” smile. “His hold on the glass is unusual—it’s much more tentative,” Wood says.

Jay-Z’s elbow and arm are also close to his side, suggesting he’s feeling a little timid over the attention. “It’s not lifted up to say, ‘You’re darn right,’ it’s more like, ‘Aw, thank you. I feel it,’” Wood says.

Taylor wants to make her feelings clear.
Taylor is standing next to her longtime friend and collaborator Jack Antonoff, but she’s made a point to turn her body to share this moment with Jay-Z versus facing the stage like everyone else.

She wants to make a statement to him,” Wood says. “She’s saying, ‘I’m just going to put this out there. This is the way I feel.’”