a rant about unnecessary Taylor hate

I've been listening to more Taylor Swift recently, and I wanted to share some of my thoughts on the constant hate she gets. I don’t know if I should consider myself a "Swiftie" yet, because I haven’t listened to a full album of hers, but I have listened to over 20 songs across a few of her albums. As of now, some of my favorite songs I'm obsessed with are "Lavender Haze," "Cardigan," and "Seven."

When I was younger, I never understood why people hated on Taylor so much. I’ve always felt uncomfortable around those who bashed her, but now that I’m older, I realize just how much she’s done to inspire others, donate to important causes, and just be an incredible storyteller and singer. But despite all that, people still find reasons to hate on her, and I don’t get it. Is it jealousy? Resentment? Or are people just miserable in their own lives and targeting someone who's an easy scapegoat? Or maybe they just want to look "cool" on the internet and seek validation from people they’ll never meet? It’s one thing if you’re not into pop music, but to constantly criticize her for every little thing she does? It’s just ridiculous.

For example, people say she’s lip-syncing, but when they hear her sing live, they call her a bad singer. They hear her sing “Don’t Blame Me” and call it screaming, when it’s actually belting. And when they’re corrected, they just say they don’t like it. If she were to find a cure for cancer tomorrow, I bet people would still complain that she didn’t solve world hunger, too. And don’t even get me started on her jet usage—what do people expect her to do, swim across the ocean to her next show?

What really gets to me is when people say things like, “I don’t like Taylor Swift, but…” or “I’m not a Swiftie, but I like the song ‘Cardigan.' I mean, there's literally a tiktok post where this girl said "I hate Taylor Swift but this song" (referring to the song cardigan) Why does it have to be so hard for people to just admit they like something Taylor did without distancing themselves from being a fan? Just say you liked the song and move on! There’s no need to add disclaimers, it’s like they’re scared to be labeled a "Swiftie." It’s honestly frustrating.

And the stereotype that Swifties are just crazy, white teenage girls—yeah, I know it’s just a stereotype, but as a Black girl, it’s annoying. Swifties come from all age groups, races, genders, and backgrounds. It's a diverse group, but people choose to ignore that and stick with their narrow view of who a fan should be.

Also, people love to act like Taylor’s the only artist with a toxic fanbase. I can guarantee that whatever they're into, their favorite artists probably have a group of toxic fans, too. But that shouldn’t reflect on the artist themselves. Taylor could say, “Stop doing that,” and people still wouldn’t listen. There's only so much an artist can do to control their fans. And one thing that really bothers me is when people talk about her dancing—since when did being a singer mean you have to be a great dancer? Taylor knows she’s not the best dancer, but that doesn’t stop her from having fun and enjoying her performances. People complained when she danced at the Grammys, but she was literally just having a good time. Why is it so wrong to just let an artist be themselves?

It’s perfectly fine to not like Taylor’s music, but there’s absolutely no reason to nitpick every single thing she does. If she speaks up about an issue or does something good, people call it "performative." If she doesn’t speak up, they criticize her for being silent. It’s an impossible position for her to be in, and it's honestly so frustrating.

sorry about my long rant, but I had to get it off my chest.