Taylor Swift Planning Low-key July 4th With Joe Alwyn Amid Scooter Braun Drama

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Don’t expect to see Taylor Swift’s squad decked out in American flag gear on her Rhode Island estate. For the third year in a row, the 29-year-old pop star will be taking a break from hostess duties on the Fourth of July — but she has made other plans! “Taylor was looking forward to spending this years Fourth of July with Joe [Alwyn] as a couple and just be in love and hang out together,” a source close to Taylor EXCLUSIVELY tells HollywoodLife. “She didn’t exactly want to have one of her epic parties because she enjoys keeping this relationship close to her vest and close to her heart.”

Taylor is enjoying low-key days like Independence Day while she can. “She needs a little time to herself and a little time with Joe before she starts the media campaign for her new album,” our source explains. “She wants to embrace what she has with Joe and nurture that for the holiday coming up.” Tay will drop her seventh studio album, Lover, on Aug. 23, meaning the clock is ticking — she has already rolled out two singles, “Me!” and “You Need To Calm Down,” to tide us over!

While Taylor plans to stay out of the limelight on the Fourth of July, her feud with celebrity talent manager Scooter Braun, 38, has been anything but discreet. Upon learning the news that Scooter is buying her former label (Big Machine Label Group) and will therefore own her entire music catalog, Taylor took to Tumblr to write that she feels “sad” and “grossed out.” She also claimed she’s been subject to “incessant, manipulative bullying” from Ariana Grande’s manager “for years.” But this business beef has spread far beyond Taylor and Scooter, as celebrities like Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato and Cara Delevingne have jumped into the mix and taken sides.

Taylor first threw her annual Fourth of July party in 2013, and the rest is history. The guest list turned more A-list with each growing year — 2014 saw the likes of Lena Dunham and Emma Stone, 2015 invited the model squad (Gigi Hadid, Martha Hunt) and famous sibling groups (the Haim sisters, Jonas Brothers) and 2016 saw movie stars (Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Tom Hiddleston). Ah, it was a good four-year run — we’ll be patiently waiting for Taylor to pick up the hosting baton again!