Billy Joel Defends Taylor Swift as NYC Global Welcome Ambassador

Last month, Taylor Swift added New York City Global Welcome Ambassador to her resume. Apparently, the announcement has ruffled some feathers of NYC residents. But Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Billy Joel has defended Swift's appointment, calling Taylor-haters "Snoots".

The announcement has some New Yorkers upset over Swift being the face of tourism in their city, and many took to social media to express themselves (because that's what people do these days). But according to USA Today, Billy Joel thinks Taylor is an ideal fit for the Ambassador job. The 'New York State of Mind' singer and NYC native says:

"I see the New York press going, 'Taylor Swift is going to be the new New York representative?' You snoots. Let her in. That's what New York is all about. I say, 'Welcome.'...I think she's a talented songwriter," Joel says of Swift. "She catches a lot of junk, maybe because she's so popular with young girls. But I like what she's projecting. I respect what she's doing."

Swift moved to the Big Apple in May and, according to MTV, has become so enamored with the city, she has encouraged friends like Selena Gomez to make the same move.

The opening track to Taylor's new CD, '1989' is 'Welcome to New York', and she admits that much of the album was inspired by her experience in NYC, stating “New York was a huge landscape for what became this album. It’s affected my life in ways I’m not even aware of yet fully.”

There's no doubting the fact that Taylor is the biggest pop star on the planet these days, and her '1989 World Tour' promises to break records in 2015. Don't forget to sign up to win tickets to see Taylor Swift Oct. 17th at AT&T Stadium!

Check out Taylor Swift singing 'Welcome to New York' on 'The Late Show with David Letterman':