Twitter fans are weighing in on the timing of Taylor Swift’s return to music streaming services, and their judgment is that her move is pretty shady. Clever tweets and memes conclude the world’s highest paid musician is throwing some at Katy Perry and overshadowing the release of her frenemy’s new “Witness” album.
Swift once said, “My team and I don’t work our butts off for our music to be free.” But, hey, that was then.
Thursday was the day Perry’s album landed online. Same day came the announcement from Swift’s management team: “In celebration of “1989” selling over 10 million albums worldwide …, Taylor wants to thank her fans by making her entire back catalog available to all streaming services tonight at midnight,” Team TSwift said via the @taylornation Instagram account.
Coincidence? Twitter doesn’t think so. When it comes to the Perry feud that prompted Swift to pen her hit song “Bad Blood,” fans see no evidence that Taylor is ready to “Shake it Off.”
Posted one fan: “Katy Perry spent 4 years on her new album but got OVERSHADOWED BY ALL OF TAYLOR SWIFT’S OLD MUSIC BEING RE-RELEASED.”
Tweeted another: “Katy Perry: Here’s my new album, stream it on Spotify. Taylor Swift: Here’s my ENTIRE album catalog on Spotify.”
And another: “Taylor Swift releasing her full back catalog on Spotify the same day Katy Perry drops her new album is the level of petty I aspire to be.”
Swift’s snub of music streaming services dates back to 2014. Just as she was announcing her “1989” tour, she also parted company with Spotify. She followed up in 2015 blasting Apple’s declaration that Apple Music would not pay artists, writers or producers during the three-month free trial period.
“Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing,” Swift said in an open letter to Apple. “I say this with love, reverence, and admiration for everything else Apple has done.”
Then she threatened to withhold her “1989” album from the service. Apple rushed to contact Swift that day and later posted on Twitter that the company had abandoned plans to withhold artist royalties.
Back to the latest demonstration of the Swift clout. This won’t be the last Tweet we see about Katy Perry: “Taylor Swift putting all her music back on Spotify on Katy Perry release day? SHAAAAAADE.”
