How On Earth Has Taylor Swift Not Changed This 1 Lyric?

The singer has been criticized for a problematic lyric on her "Tortured Poets Department" album — and she doesn't seem to be in any hurry to edit it.

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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 week’s 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 album’s 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 / I’d 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 let’s face it, they don’t quite hit the mark for great poetry. She could’ve 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 weren’t allowed to read, write, bear arms or vote, let alone speak freely. It’s like trying to mix water and oil — it just doesn’t work.

The lyric has sparked some discussion on social media, with one user providing a comprehensive breakdown of why they believe it shouldn’t have been included.