Taylor Swift released a new album Friday, but not all listeners like a controversial line in her new song, “I Hate It Here.”
In the excerpt from “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology”, a deluxe version of her new album, the singer of The Eras Tour says she wants to return to an era that ended more than a century before the start of her career.
“My friends used to play a game where we picked a decade we wished we could live in instead of this one; I’d say the 1830s, but without all the racists and without marrying for the highest bid,” Swift sings in the piece. .
What we know about Taylor Swift“The Tortured Poets Department” album to date
The Civil War began in 1861, more than 30 years after the start of the 1830s, the decade Swift references in the song. Slavery was still active in the United States at this time.
“Everyone would look down because it wasn’t fun now, it seems like it never even was back then; nostalgia is a magic trick if I was there I would hate it” , she continues.
‘There are so many bad things about this’: Social media users react to Taylor Swift’s ‘I Hate It Here’ lyrics
The controversial line angered the internet and fueled conversations around Swift’s lyricism. Users on X, formerly known as Twitter, reacted to Swift’s lyrics “I Hate It Here.”
“Y’all…there are so many bad things about this,” one user wrote while posting a screenshot of Genius’ song lyrics.
The explosive growth of slavery, in graphs:How “Odd 20” Became Millions
“‘I’d say the 1830s but without all the racists’ now Taylor…” another user commented.
Other X fans defended Swift’s songwriting abilities as historical analysis.
“It’s an interesting commentary on how we sometimes romanticize certain eras without fully considering the realities of their lives,” one commenter said.
“The Tortured Poets Department” includes 31 songs
“The Tortured Poets Department,” Swift’s 11th album, contains 31 songs, when you add the 15-song deluxe version “The Anthology,” which includes “I Hate It Here.” The album draws inspiration from heartbreak and coming-of-age, traditional themes for one of the world’s most famous people and songwriters.
Its debut single “Fortnight” features rapper and singer Post Malone.