Over the last 24 hours, social media has been dominated by the hashtag #KimExposedTaylorParty. The reigning Queen of publicity, Kim Kardashian, released damning footage of pop superstar Taylor Swift allegedly "Okaying" the song Famous that was written by rapper (and Kim's husband) Kanye West. Taylor Swift had previously labeled the song offensive, sexist and derogatory. During the Grammys this year, she even turned her acceptance speech into an opportunity to take a swipe at Kanye for "taking credit" for her success.
Then Kim released footage, via Snapchat, where she had recorded the original conversation from months ago between Kanye and Taylor, and yes - she did Okay the song. What came next was news headlines filled with stories about Taylor's exposé and fans took to her Instagram page to fill all the comments with the snake emoji. This kind of public backlash for a star whose image has been so carefully controlled over the years has been seriously damaging for her.
Fame is a double-edged sword; the stars that appear to be at the very top of their game one minute can quickly come tumbling down the next. So is this the end of the Taylor Swift-reign? Here are just a few reasons why this could be the case.
16 The "#TaylorSwiftIsOverParty" Started Trending
You know your career might be heading for the worst when the entire internet begins celebrating that it might be over. Last week a hashtag appeared online: "#TaylorSwiftIsOverParty". The Twitter storm kicked off when just weeks after Swift split from DJ Calvin Harris, her PR team told the Daily Mail that she had wrote his latest number one single This Is What You Came For, under the pseudonym "Nils Sjoberg."
An understandably angered Harris then tweeted that although Swift had penned some of the lyrics, he turned it into a number one track. The Scottish born star wrote on his account: "Hurtful to me at this point that her and her team would go so far out of their way to try and make ME look bad at this stage though." He also added in a separate tweet: "I figure if you're happy in your new relationship you should focus on that instead of trying to tear your ex bf down for something to do." Fans flocked to his side and the hashtag, along with many hilarious memes, was born.
15 Too Much "Hiddleswift" PDA
Last week, less than a month after her split from Calvin Harris, Taylor was splashed all over the pages of British tabloid The Sun as she walked hand in hand with actor Tom Hiddleston. The back-story was that the two had met at the Met Gala (Taylor was still with Calvin at the time) and the pair engaged in a dance off to Beyonce's music blasting in the background. Then these paparazzi snaps were taken on a Rhode Island public beach and "Hiddleswift" was born.
A new romance was born and for the weeks that followed our magazines and online feeds were flooded with pictures of the pair holding hands, kissing at every opportunity and the now infamous "I Love T.S" vest Tom wore to the beach one day. It all became a bit nauseating and also hurtful for Calvin who clearly did not see this one coming. Taylor has always been the kind of girl who wears her heart on her sleeve but when it comes to constant lip locking, we're all getting a little sick.
14 Playing Up To The Press
Outspoken chat show host Wendy Williams has already called out Taylor on her game playing when it comes to the paparazzi. She revealed on her show: "You are probably wondering why the paparazzi is in Rhode Island? Taylor probably called them." Before adding, "You got what you need Taylor - which is to be on Hot Topics."
Since the "first kiss on the beach" pictures were taken, Hiddleswift have also been papped all over the world as they danced at a Selena Gomez concert in Nashville, enjoyed a country stroll in Tom's hometown of Suffolk, England, and toured the Colosseum. Wherever they go, there is always a hoard of photographers surrounding them.
Dan Taylor, head of sales at photo agency Xposure, explained to The Washington Post: "If you’ve got someone like Taylor Swift who is literally parading along the beach and is pretty much just giving it up for the photographers, that’s kind of like a dream scenario, to be honest with you." Ken Goff of Goff Photos also added: "It’s only as easy as (the celebrities) allow it to be." Taylor Swift has made a fortune from constantly keeping in the public eye but lately it feels like a PR overload.
13 Having Too Many "Showmances"
"Showmances" are a clever way for celebs to stay at the top of everyone's news feeds - there's just something about celebrity hookups that we can't get enough of. If there is one person who understands this public thirst for romance then it's Taylor.
Her list of previous celebrity boyfriends includes Jake Gyllenhaal, John Mayer, Harry Styles, Taylor Lautner and now Calvin Harris. From Swan Goals to now romantic strolls on the beach, as soon as Taylor gets her hands on a new man she convinces the world he's the only one for her. All her fans are expected to get on board and support her new lover - then when it all falls apart months later, turn their backs on him.
It's a roller coaster for everyone involved but how many times is Taylor going to do a "date and ditch" with other celebs until everyone's patience wears thin. Although according to Tom Hiddleston this is the real deal. He told The Hollywood Reporter: "The truth is that Taylor Swift and I are together, and we're very happy. That's the truth. It's not a publicity stunt." (That's what Calvin said too, Tom.)
12 Too Irritating
Taylor became the face of Apple Music earlier this year when she appeared in a string of adverts promoting their new streaming service. The adverts went viral but for all the wrong reasons. As Taylor runs along to the track Jumpman by Drake & Future, she raps her way through her cardio yet viewers thought the perfect bob-cut she was rocking was very distracting and the falling off the treadmill, full-on slapstick style, was also just too much. When the advert aired all over the world - there was a lot of irritated fans.
The advert also spurred on a backlash that the I Knew You Were Trouble singer was far too thin. Comedian Amy Schumer even got in on the commentary when she uploaded a picture of her natural body shape with the caption: "Taylor that isn't a thigh gap! This is a thigh gap!" Although Taylor's body shape is naturally on the slim side, fans have noticed that over the years she has been dropping even more pounds than usual.
According to Healthy Celeb online, her figure comes down to a lot of cardio. They revealed: "Taylor, at 5 feet 11 inches has lean legs. She believes that she has the legs to become a potential long distance runner. She does an hour-long cardio exercise, no matter where she is. Though she is not much of a road runner, she makes it a point to do a 60 minute cardio workout on her treadmill or her elliptical trainer." That would be enough to shake the pounds off anyone.
11 Ongoing Feuds With Other Celebs
Taylor has a lot of A-List enemies. Her very public feud with Katy Perry dominated the headlines last year, when the video for Bad Blood was released and many labelled it a revenge track against Katy Perry. (Basically to cut a long story short - Katy tried to steal some dancers from Taylor's world tour and things turned nasty.)
Then there is her ongoing beef with Justin Bieber, the ex-boyfriend of her BFF Selena Gomez, who Taylor has never had a nice word to say about. She had a brief Twitter fight with Nicki Minaj when the Anaconda singer tweeted MTV Music Awards are only handed to "skinny, white girls" and Taylor took personal offence.
It is however Taylor's ultimate beef with rapper Kanye West over the years that has gathered the most media attention. In 2009, Kanye famously interrupted Taylor's speech, then earlier this year Kanye dropped his album Life of Pablo with the lyrics on his track Famous: "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. Why? I made that b***h famous/Goddamn, I made that b***h famous." According to Kanye, Taylor Okayed the lyrics during a phone call but then months later she denied this. By the end of the year will Taylor have any celebrity friends left at all?
10 She Has A Real Jealous Streak
You don't get to become as big a star as Taylor without stepping on a few toes. Nobody can deny Taylor hates the share the limelight when it's not on her own terms.
The singer has always had quite a feisty side according to Fox News reporter Cody Derespina. He claimed that when the two attended Berks Youth Theatre Academy, Pennsylvania, together the Shake It Off star "ripped down" his pictures and "threw them against a wall" after they performed together in a musical. The reason? Cody had received better reviews than Taylor over the performance.
Taylor has also been caught off guard at many award ceremonies muttering under her breath beef about other stars when she doesn't win. According to sources, her feud with Katy Perry also came from Taylor's jealous streak. She is determined to stop at nothing to become the ultimate star and her cutthroat attitude is started to paint a not so favourable picture of her.
9 Suing Fans
Taylor called in her lawyers last year to deal with the handmade items that were being sold on popular crafts website Etsy - by her own fans. Taylor trademarked the slogan: "Shake It Off" and t-shirts, tea towels and mugs appeared on the site bearing this slogan she released her legal team on the sellers.
One user told Billboard magazine: "We originally made the item for fun, we love Taylor and we had friends that love Taylor. We never intended for it to be a profit-making item. The cost of the item covered shipping costs, and production costs with very little left over."
The questionable copyright of "Shake It Off" is also in a seperate lawsuit. American R&B singer Jesse Braham claimed in legal papers Taylor stole the words from a song he wrote in 2013 called Haters Gone Hate and he is currently seeking $47 million in compensation. He told New York Daily News, "Her hook is the same hook as mine. If I didn't write the song Haters Gone Hate, there wouldn't be a song called Shake It Off."
8 Questionable Fashion Choices
The annual Met Gala is one of the most glittering star-studded balls of the year. There is always a theme and this year "Manus x Machina-theme: Fashion in an Age of Technology" was chosen. One thing no attendee needs is to end up the next day on the "worst dressed" list but for Taylor she pretty much topped it in this metallic ensemble.
The silver, the snakeskin, the lace up boots and the side cutaways was all too much for the fans and many took to the internet wrapped in tin foil to mock the singer. One Twitter user wrote: "Taylor Swift, a boring girl with no fashion sense whatsoever, is the honorary co-chair of the 2016 Met Gala. I am so disgusted."
When she appeared on the red carpet at the MTV awards head-to-toe in pink she also received many shakes of the head. She has her singing and songwriting nailed down to perfection, and with $250 million in the bank it appears to be time she invested in a decent stylist.
7 Overbearing Control
Now we have endured nearly a decade of Taylor Swift, everyone has quickly learned its her way or the no way. Her very public legal battle with Apple Music, where she made them agree to pay artists during the free trial period their music was on offer, ended in her becoming the face of the service. She blocked her music from being made available on Spotify and demands all fans cough up the money for her albums or they get nothing at all.
After their breakup, Calvin Harris revealed that Taylor "controlled all the media." He tweeted one fan: "She controlled the media and this situation. I had no idea what was going on." Kendall Jenner had also called Taylor out on her controlling behaviour the year before. A source told OK! magazine that Kendall stays clear of Taylor and her squad as she controls everything they do. This was also the reason behind the Blank Space singer's high-profile split from Harry Styles - she wanted to control him but must have forgotten...well, he's Harry Styles.
6 Contradiction On Attacking Women
Taylor has always considered herself to be a proud feminist although many would disagree. Her tweet to Nicki Minaj was that she disagreed with "women who pit women against each other" which had a lot of heads spinning due to her contradictory Bad Blood video.
Regularly she has complained about how the media labels her as "crazy" and a "nightmare" but then her own video for Blank Space is about trapping men in a fantasy world by showering him with lavish gifts then when it doesn't work out she starts a rampage of revenge and as her lyrics describe: "Screaming, crying, perfect storms." The video's ending with Taylor holding a knife and smashing her boyfriend's car with a golf club pretty much sums up her own inner monologue.
Fans are getting worn by which side Taylor is on - is she crazy, cool or just an expert at playing with the media?
5 Stealing Fan Pictures and Artwork
Artist Ally Burguieres went to war online with an open letter to the star over artwork used to promote Taylor's 1989 album. The star apparently ripped off the artist's painting of a fox which she posted on Instagram to her 85 million followers without a credit.
The New Orleans artist wrote: "I know it's easy to think that someone might do something like this just for attention or to get money. But for me, it's about the principle of it. I didn't want to be suppressed because my rights were inconvenient to somebody in power. I didn't want to be silenced or intimidated or made to feel like I didn't matter because no one would be hearing what I was saying. I don't think anybody should feel that way."
This wasn't the first time Taylor felt the wrath of her fans. During the 1989 World Tour she also took a fans photo from their Instagram account and reposted on her own - again without credit.
4 The Cult-Like "Squad"
Taylor's "Squad" came under scrutiny when many fans began comparing it to a cult. It all began when she started bringing a hoard of friends (all tall, skinny, white and mostly blonde) to almost every award show with her so they could clap along and praise her greatness. Then at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey she announced to the audience: "There are two requirements. You have to like me, at least a little. And you have to want to spend time with me…”
Her "squad" also appeared programmed to say nothing but lovely things about her to her press. Supermodel Karlie Kloss told Cosmopolitan magazine, “She is the coolest girl. She’s so sweet. She’s a normal girl . . . she’s a really nice girl.” Then another model and squad member Martha Hunt told People, “She has such an infectious personality. Everyone just wants to be around her at all times. She really brings out the best in everybody.” It's enough to make you wonder if they are all placed under contract.
3 Refusing To Acknowledge Her Privilege
Over the years, Taylor has always wanted everyone to believe she is a simple country girl from a humble upbringing and her determination has finally brought her to where she is today. Everyone believed, and admired, her started-from-the-bottom success story, until her former guitar teacher exposed the truth.
Writer Marlow Stern revealed to The Daily Beast: "According to the Swift fairy tale, she is the consummate underdog, an outsider who grew up on a Christmas tree farm and was mercilessly bullied and rejected, but never gave up on her dream of music superstardom." He added: "Swift’s father is a very wealthy senior vice president at Merrill Lynch—and the descendant of three generations of bank presidents—while her mother worked at a mutual fund and is the daughter of a rich oilman."
Stern believes her "victim" image was completely constructed, adding: "Taylor has spent years perfecting her persona as "the unpopular geek who deserves your sympathy…while modelling for Abercrombie & Fitch in the eighth grade." At least we all now know the truth.
2 Her Mask Is Slipping
Fox News published an article this week with the title: "Is Taylor Swift really a mean girl?" and mentioned: "Taylor Swift’s reign as pop music’s sweetheart may be coming to an end… and fast." Reporting on the most recent feud with Calvin Harris' with Taylor's PR team revealing she wrote his latest hit, they played up to the notion that Taylor might not be as sweet and innocent as she wants us to believe.
Katy Perry also weighed in on the Twitter storm by retweeting a post she wrote herself in May 2015 that read: "Time, the ultimate truth teller." It was clearly a move that signalled Taylor's nice girl mask is slipping.
Taylor has been known to visit the bedsides of fans who are in hospital and even turn up at their homes to hand out hugs. But with her most recent attacks on ex-boyfriends and other stars in the industry, it appears everyone's patience is running thin with the singer.
1 She Has Officially Peaked
There isn't a pop singer in the world who has job security, it's one of the toughest games in the business where staying at the top of the charts requires years of hard work. Taylor needs to have the power of Madonna or Beyonce in order to keep hold of her career for decades to come. So what is their secret? Reinvention. Taylor's image has been the same for awhile now: she gets a guy, falls in love, breaks up and then writes the revenge track. The question is though - how long will fans be interested for?
Now Taylor's fans are getting older and there's more competition in the industry she will have to think of new ways to keep their interest. She is one of the best-selling artists of all time and has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. There is such a thing as peaking too early in your career - so are these really the final days of Taylor? Considering the hashtag #TaylorSwiftIsOverParty went viral - there are a lot of people out there who certainly seem to think so.
Sources: dailymail.co.uk, hollywoodreporter.com
