If it feels like youve stepped out of a time machine this week, its probably because Taylor Swifts new album, "The Tortured Poets Department," has reignited some eight-year-old drama between her and Kim Kardashian.
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For a quick reminder, Swift and Kardashian's feud began way back in 2016 with the release of Kanye Wests song, Famous, which included the controversial line: I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that bitch famous.
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The lyric seemingly references when West interrupted Swift's acceptance speech at the VMAs in 2009.
Even though West claimed that he got Swift's permission for the line, a spokesperson for the singer hit back and denied this was the case, describing the song as misogynistic.
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Kanye did not call for approval, but to ask Taylor to release his single Famous on her Twitter account, Swift's representative told BuzzFeed News in a statement at the time. She declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message. Taylor was never made aware of the actual lyric, I made that bitch famous.
At this point, Kardashian entered the chat to defend her then-husband. After telling GQ that Swift totally approved the line, she took things to the next level by releasing footage of the actual phone call between West and Swift, in which she can be heard giving him the go-ahead.
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Yeah. I mean, go with whatever line you think is better. Its obviously very tongue-in-cheek either way, Swift could be heard saying in the now infamous clip. And I really appreciate you telling me about it, thats really nice! she added.
Memorably, Kardashian shared the footage hours after noting that it was National Snake Day which is where the snake-gate name originates.
Memorably, Kardashian shared the footage hours after noting that it was National Snake Day which is where the snake-gate name originates.
As the story goes, the phone call clip appeared to serve as evidence that Swift had lied, and as a result, a large portion of the internet turned on her, prompting her to go into hiding.
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At the height of the scandal, people flooded Swift's social media pages with snake emojis, and when she returned a year later, she reclaimed the snake imagery by putting it at the forefront of her comeback album, Reputation.
In 2020, the full phone call between Swift and West surfaced online and seemingly revealed that Swift had never actually approved of the that bitch lyric after all.
In 2020, the full phone call between Swift and West surfaced online and seemingly revealed that Swift had never actually approved of the that bitch lyric after all.
And while Kardashian seems to have put the drama behind her, having never mentioned it since, it appears Swift's more reluctant to let it go.
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In the past eight years, Swift has unpacked the snake-gate drama on multiple occasions in songs, acceptance speeches, her Netflix documentary, and in interviews.
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Even as recently as December, she name-dropped Kardashian directly during an interview with Time magazine, claiming that her career was temporarily taken away from her due to a fully manufactured frame job by Kardashian and West.
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That took me down psychologically to a place Ive never been before, she said, looking back to 2016. I moved to a foreign country. I didnt leave a rental house for a year. I was afraid to get on phone calls. I pushed away most people in my life because I didnt trust anyone anymore. I went down really, really hard. I thought that moment of backlash was going to define me negatively for the rest of my life.
So, after snake-gate seemingly inspired tracks on "Reputation" (2017), "Evermore" (2020), and "Midnights" (2022), Swift appears to be dwelling on the past once again on "The Tortured Poets Department," with a song that many have interpreted as a shady diss track toward Kardashian.
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In case youve not heard it yet, Swift's thanK you aIMee tells the story of a high-school bully, named Aimee. Of course, the biggest hint that this song is inspired by Kardashian is the fact that the capitalized letters in the track title spell out her name.
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Swift opens the song with a reference to a bronze spray-tanned statue of a person who caused her searing pain in the public eye. All that time you were throwin' punches, I was buildin' somethin' / And I can't forgive the way you made me feel, she sings, looking back at the conflict.
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The chorus centers around Swift's disdain for the bully in question as she recalls screaming fuck you, Aimee into the night sky.
In the second verse, Swift grapples with mocking headlines, recalling that Aimee stomped across [her] grave. She later indicates that shes still haunted by what this person did to her, singing: Everyone knows that my mother is a saintly woman / But she used to say she wished that you were dead / I pushed each boulder up the hill / Your words are still just ringing in my head.
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Of the apparent hints that the song is about Kardashian, none garnered quite as much attention as a line that many fans believe is a reference to Kardashian's daughter, North, whereby Swift sings: And one day, your kid comes home singin' / A song that only us two is gonna know is about you.
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For context, North sparked an online frenzy by posting a TikTok video of her and her mom dancing and singing along to Swift's song, Shake It Off.
Needless to say, it didnt take long for fans to start describing thanK you aIMee as a Kardashian diss track, with many wondering how the reality star might be feeling about the song.
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And now, with their 2016 feud being rehashed once again, an insider claims that Kardashian has moved past the drama and wants Swift to do the same.
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Shes over it and thinks Taylor should move on, a source told People magazine on Tuesday, adding that Kardashian doesnt get why [Taylor] keeps harping on it.
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Its been literally years, the insider added.
Kardashian hasnt personally addressed the diss track, though the Skims founder appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Monday and told the host that life is good.
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