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Posted: 2024-04-26T21:59:37Z | Updated: 2024-04-26T21:59:37Z

This article includes material from HuffPosts weekly culture and entertainment newsletter, The Culture Catchall. Click here to subscribe .

You might want to grab a snack real quick as we dissect a lyric from the queen of the Swifties and much more in this weeks newsletter.

Taylor Swift recently dropped her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department , and while Swifties are rejoicing , there was some controversy surrounding I Hate It Here, a song on the albums deluxe edition. Its lyrics read: My friends used to play a game where / We would pick a decade / We wished we could live in instead of this / Id say the 1830s but without all the racists / And getting married off for the highest bid.

Now, I get what Tay was aiming for with those lyrics, but lets face it, they dont quite hit the mark for great poetry. She couldve gone for a more general world without racism vibe, but instead, she decided to name-drop a period in history when many Black people were enslaved and werent allowed to read, write, bear arms or vote, let alone speak freely. Its like trying to mix water and oil it just doesnt work.

The lyric has sparked some discussion on social media, with one user providing a comprehensive breakdown of why they believe it shouldnt have been included.

The controversy is not entirely unexpected given Swifts past. She was previously linked with Matty Healy, the lead singer of The 1975, who faced allegations of racism. Afterward, she apparently tried to remedy the situation by associating with the rapper Ice Spice.

On her recent album, she seemed to address the relationship with Healy, albeit in a way that some fans found dismissive. Additionally, Swift has faced criticism in the past for her approach to her white feminism.

Swift should take the time to make sure when using historical references, it wont offend some of her fanbase. And well, she could change the lyrics and add in a new line like a lot of other artists have done in the past including Lizzo and Beyonc .

Swift should recognize her power as an artist and tailor her own messaging so its not downright offensive to parts of her fanbase.

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