Taylor Swift’s next studio album, “Lover”, is slated to come out later this summer, and her second single, “You Need to Calm Down”, and its accompanying video has certainly put her in the spotlight. But the LGBT+-friendly song didn’t necessarily have the desired effect, as Swift is now under fire for seemingly appropriating Pride Month for her own commercial benefit.
The song is simultaneously a criticism of people who shame celebrities for various things on social media, and of anti-LGBT protestors. That in itself has raised eyebrows, as comparing the struggles of straight celebrities with the struggles of marginalized people can be viewed as offensive.
And the video was clearly designed to make a commercial splash. It features tons of celebrities, including Ellen DeGeneres and Katy Perry, and is as extravagant as some of her previous work. Though the video ends with Swift asking fans to support the Equality Act, which supports gay marriage nation-wide, many still believe she was mostly interested in getting attention.
We’ll never know for sure what Swift’s real intentions were, but the video did generate 1.5 million views in just two days. Whether or not that was worth the feather-ruffling is yet to be discovered.
Image Courtesy of Taylor Swift (YouTube)