Sorry, the new Taylor can't come to the phone right now because she's busy speaking up about modern-day democracy in the United States.
Taylor Swift, Snake Queen and Mother of Cats, might be diving into the divisive world of U.S. politics on her seventh studio album. Swift confirmed that she won't remain silent about the current affairs during an interview with Germany's Deutsche Press-Agentur.
"I definitely think there are political undertones in the new music I made," Swift said, according to Entertainment Tonight. "I'm not planning to stop encouraging young people to vote and to try to get them to talk about what's going on in our country. I think that's one of the most important things I could do."
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Jokes aside, Swift is right; she has a massive amount of pull in pop culture and effectively proved to be a driving force in amplifying millennial political engagement during the 2018 midterm elections. Swift may have inspired hundreds of thousands of voters to register, as well as turn in early-voting ballots, after she endorsed the Tennessee Democratic candidates on Instagram.
"In the past I've been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now," she wrote in one post. "I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country."
Swift's activism continued in 2019 when she made a $113,000 donation to the Tennessee Equality Project, an organization that advocates for LGBTQ+ rights by lobbying for inclusive legislation. She also called out the state legislature's "State of Hate," indicating that she'll once again speak out against Republican leaders during the 2020 election cycle.
She's likely to go after President Donald Trump, as well — though she may not choose to use his name. Back in March, Swift explained in Elle that she felt compelled to extensively research the U.S. political system and understand current issues before sharing her views — including her position on the current administration — with her fans.
"Only as someone approaching 30 did I feel informed enough to speak about it to my 114 million followers," she wrote. "Invoking racism and provoking fear through thinly veiled messaging is not what I want from our leaders, and I realized that it actually is my responsibility to use my influence against that disgusting rhetoric. I’m going to do more to help. We have a big race coming up next year."
Look out, Trump. If history has taught us anything, having "Bad Blood" with someone doesn't slow Swift down; it only makes her stronger.