“I’m kinda used to being gaslit by now,” Taylor Swift once said after that crazy year in 2016. Everything seemed to blow up at once, and she went from America’s sweetheart to villain practically overnight. A series of controversies and public feuds culminated in what she referred to as ‘the apocalypse,’ and it all started with the MTV Video Music Awards of 2015, which was largely to blame for Swift’s difficult year. Nicki Minaj had called out the award show for not giving enough love to black artists, and Swift, well… let’s just say she took it very personally.
Swift lashed out at Minaj’s claim of the industry ‘rewarding’ white women at the ‘expense’ of black artists when she tweeted, “Maybe one of the men took your slot.” This exchange sparked a broader conversation about racial dynamics in the music industry and Swift’s own privilege. In the aftermath, critics began pointing out a narrative of ‘white victimhood’ in Swift’s career. Later on, the Lover hitmaker accepted that this incident was eye-opening for her. “A lot about how my privilege allowed me to not have to learn about white privilege,” Swift explained. “I didn’t know about it as a kid, and that is privilege itself, you know? And that’s something that I’m still trying to educate myself on every day.”
zayn vs. calvin harris pic.twitter.com/55TO25Gj2R
— pop culture (@gagasyuyi) June 23, 2024
This insight made Swift consider her prior deeds and public image. In addition, being so active on social media, she realized, had made it seem like everyone deserved a window into every part of her life. “I created an expectation that everything in my life that happened, people would see,” she admitted.
Constantly sharing every detail of her life online backfired. It turned her into a target for tabloids and fans who dissected everything she did, and she ultimately realized her image was not in her control. No matter the choice she would make, public opinion on it would vary; damned if she did, damned if she didn’t. It was in this regard that Swift told The Guardian, “I’m kinda used to being gaslit by now. And I think it happens to women so often that, as we get older and see how the world works, we’re able to see through what is gaslighting.”
Besides, the summer of 2016 was brutal also because of a public fight she had with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian about a lyric in his song Famous. Kardashian uploaded edited clips online, and the backlash against Swift exploded on social media, turning the tide of opinion against her. It left her feeling like everyone was against her and completely misconstrued the situation.
People who hate artists like Taylor Swift or Lin-Manuel Miranda are extremely common. What’s less common is somebody who’s able to articulate *why* they don’t like that music in a way that demonstrates that they’ve thought about what they value in art
— Robert Komaniecki (@Komaniecki_R) April 30, 2024
“When people are in a hate frenzy and they find something to mutually hate together, it bonds them. And anything you say is in an echo chamber of mockery,” Swift explained, describing why she chose not to defend herself publicly at the time, as per The Guardian. The constant criticism and scrutiny took a toll on Swift. She found herself in a no-win situation. “Oh my God, they were mad at me for smiling a lot and quote-unquote acting fake. And then they were mad at me that I was upset and bitter and kicking back,” she recalled.
Needless to say, 2016 was a rough year for Swift. Between the public feuds and the constant pressure, she just needed some space. She stepped back from social media and all the attention, realizing things weren’t quite balanced between her life and her music. This break also opened her eyes to issues of privilege and social justice. “How can I see where people are coming from, and understand the pain that comes with the history of our world?” she asked herself.
Palmer McAllister
Dream
Amy Cooper
Dede@10
