This article includes material from HuffPost’s weekly culture and entertainment newsletter, The Culture Catchall. Click here to subscribe.
Before we dive in, I want to wish you all a Happy Juneteenth. To all the Black people out there, I hope you’re taking the day off to relax, celebrate and enjoy some well-deserved downtime.
It looks like Taylor Swift is swiftly becoming known as a thief to the public — and I’m gonna break it all down for you. Let’s get into why the girls are giving Ms. Swift the bombastic side-eye.
Swift has been dropping new editions of her album “The Tortured Poets Department” since it was initially released on April 19. Earlier this year, fans speculated that Billie Eilish might be shading Swift after she told Billboard it’s “wasteful” when artists release multiple versions of vinyl albums. “I find it really frustrating as someone who tries to be sustainable,” Eilish said. “Then you see some of the biggest artists in the world making 40 different vinyl packages with unique features just to get you to buy more.”
Whew.
In the same month, Eilish announced her new album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” which was set for release on May 17. But guess what? Swift dropped three new editions of “The Tortured Poets Department ″ album just one day before Eilish’s new release. Social media went wild, with one fan calling Swift “greedy.”
Oh, but there’s more.
It was projected, according to The Guardian, that Charli XCX’s album “Brat” would reach No. 1 in the U.K. during the week of June 14. But then Swift released six U.K.-only album variants around the same time, so instead she nabbed the No. 1 spot, blocking Charli XCX from the feat.
Of course, fans didn’t hold their tongues about it.
I’m disappointed that Taylor Swift seemingly would try to block Charli XCX and Billie Eilish from achieving the top spot on the charts. Given Swift’s immense status in the music world, it feels unnecessary and somewhat selfish to use these tactics to keep rising to the top. She has already accomplished so much and has a massive fan base that ensures her success.
You’d think Swift would be celebrating and embracing new talent, not trying to overshadow them. Her focus should be on enjoying her well-earned success and supporting emerging artists. By doing this, she could help foster a more inclusive and supportive music industry where everyone has a fair shot at the spotlight.
Subscribe to The Culture Catchall to stay up to date on all things entertainment.