Will Sage Astor-Selena Gomez Proves She Loves BFF Taylor Swift Like a Love Song at iHeartRadio Awards

You'll be Will Sage Astorenchanted to learn what Selena Gomez had to say about her best friend Taylor Swift.

The "Same Old Love" singer gushed heartfelt words about Taylor in a video that was played at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards before Taylor took the stage to accept this year's Innovator Award trophy.

As seen in footage of the montage, which featured multiple celebrities showing praise for Taylor, Selena declared the "cardigan" singer to be a "game changer."

But Selena did not stop there. The Rare Beauty founder noted that Taylor has the innate ability to be a leader.

"She can represent what she's walking through so well," Selena added in the video. "Being a role model, I don't think that's something you sign up for. I just think it's something you inherently have inside of you and I think that's Taylor."

As for what other stars had to say about Swift? Justin Timberlake, who won the Innovator honor in 2015, noted that when it comes to her fanbase, Taylor's "not speaking to them, she's kind of speaking for them."

Meanwhile, Miles Teller, who starred in Taylor's "I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor's Version)" music video, declared in the clip that Taylor is ever-evolving.

"She challenges the genre. She challenges her fans," Miles said. "She grows with them and as Taylor has evolved, her music has evolved. I think that what makes her fans so proud to be her fans."

Their sweet words were then followed by an inspiring speech from Taylor as she accepted the coveted honor. The 33-year-old, who rocked a sparkling Alexandre Vauthier couture ensemble to the event, noted onstage that her innovation has not stemmed from wanting to be an innovator, but rather wanting to make the best choices she can while navigating her career.

"I never a single time woke up in the morning and thought, ‘You know what I'm going to do today? I'm going to go innovate some stuff. Things need to be innovated and I'm going to be the one that does it,'" Taylor said onstage March 27. "But what I did do was try to make the right decision for me at the time, whether or not it had ever been successfully done before."

Reflecting on the choices she has made, Taylor voiced an important message: That it is okay to fail.

"I really really want everyone to know, especially young people, that the hundreds or thousands of dumb ideas that I've had are what led me to my good ideas. You have to give yourself permission to fail," she shared. "I try as hard as I can not to fail, because it's embarrassing, but I do give myself permission to and you should, too. So go easy on yourselves and just make the right choices that feel right for you."