Avid followers of Taylor Swift have been decoding the lyrics of every track on her new album called “The Tortured Poets Department,” with some claiming that “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” is about Matt Healy, “Fresh Out Of The Slammer” is about Joe Alwyn and “Alchemy” is about the songstress’ present boyfriend Travis Kelce.
Though the American pop superstar has not confirmed anything, fans and critics alike are convinced that “thanK you AIMee” is about her long-running spat with Kim Kardashian.
Not only is her name written in capital letters in the song's title, but the harsh lyrics about a bully refer to her as "a bronze spray-tanned statue of you," a dig at the reality star's improved complexion. The music then takes it a step further by featuring Kim's 10-year-old daughter North.
In a reference to a mommy-and-me video of the two dancing to "Shake It Off," Taylor sings, "One day, your kid comes home singin' a song that only us two is gonna know is about you."
However, Kim seems unconcerned from the outside. "Life is good," the former wife of Kanye West told talk show host Jimmy Kimmel during her appearance on April 22.
Insiders told Star Magazine that the mother of four is "frightened" of Taylor coming after her. The Kardashians star, worth $1.7 billion, has already lost an estimated 100,000 social media followers.
“The power of Taylor’s fan base is so immense. Her calling Kim a bully and whipping her fans into a frenzy is not something she can dismiss,” an unnamed source told the entertainment news outlet.
The feud stretches back to 2016, when Kim's then-husband, Kanye West, rapped, "I made that bitch famous," referring to the time he interrupted Taylor during her 2009 VMA acceptance speech. When Taylor protested to the lyric "that bitch," Kim uploaded a video of a call in which Taylor and Kanye discussed the song, and she appeared to approve the line.
Taylor has long argued that the footage was edited. “You have a fully manufactured frame job, in an illegally recorded phone call, which Kim Kardashian edited and then put out to say to everyone that I was a liar. I thought that moment of backlash was going to define me negatively for the rest of my life,” the “Love Story” hitmaker told TIME Magazine.
It's no surprise Taylor landed hard on the track. “She felt compelled to tell her truth. This is her side of the story. Kim and Kanye should have known better. Besides, she didn’t start the feud. But by including North in the diss, she did up the ante. Taylor going after Kim’s kid, that’s taking things too far, in her opinion. This whole feud has become very personal and toxic,” the informant stated.
Taylor, whose “Eras Tour” propelled her to billionaire status, is breaking records with sales of The Tortured Poets Department. So far, the album has sold over 700,000 physical albums. To put that in perspective, NPR reported that approximately a million vinyl records were sold in the United States last year.
Don't expect Kim to use any snake emoji because, according to the insider, the sister of Kylie Jenner has no intentions to respond this time. "She knows that might make it worse. She knows how to put on a front,” the tipster said.
Meanwhile, Taylor's boyfriend, Travis, has a firsthand look into how her revenge songs work, and some are concerned the 34-year-old NFL star is seeing red flags.
"Truth is, he's a little spooked about the tone of the album and the fans' response to the diss tracks about Kim as well as Taylor's exes. Even his family is freaked out,” the snitch claimed.
However, Travis allegedly can't help but appreciate her audacity. "Travis is proud of Taylor for coming out swinging. He has been really supportive,” the mole furthered.
Business Times reached out to both Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian for comments.
