taylor swift
NewsThe Daily BeastTaylor Swift Remains Silent as Fans Doxx and Harass Music Critic Over ‘Folkore’ Review
The calls started around 2 in the morning—an hour after Pitchfork senior editor Jillian Mapes’ review of Taylor Swift’s eighth album, Folklore, posted on the site. It was a largely positive review. But it was not positive enough for a certain subset of fans, who began to use some of the internet’s dirtiest and most dangerous tactics to harass the writer who’d dared to scorn their queen with insufficient praise.Mapes’ even-handed review deftly and artfully expressed Folklore’s strengths and weaknesses—and given Pitchfork’s historical skepticism toward popular artists, the piece might as well have been a rave. But certain lines didn’t sit well with Swift’s most rabid fans. And perhaps more importantly, the 8.0 numerical score that accompanied Mapes’ review—a metric determined not by the reviewer, but from multiple staffers’ ratings—threatened to drag down the album’s aggregated Metacritic score. That, apparently, was an intolerable insult.Various tweets, some of which have now been deleted or removed and some of which still remain, included Mapes’ address and phone numbers old and current. Some have included photos of Mapes and even her home. Users have “joked” about burning her house. Others have posted screenshots of a Halsey tweet responding to a bad review earlier this year—in which the singer wrote, “can the basement that they run p*tchfork out of just collapse already.” Halsey deleted the tweet at the time after realizing that Pitchfork is, in fact, run out of One World Trade Center.Swift’s representative did not respond to multiple requests for comment.No, Tom Hanks Did Not Flee to Greece to Avoid Pedophilia Charges, You SickosTaylor Swift, The Chicks, and Music’s Fierce Women Deliver the Soundtrack to Our Lockdown-Era MadnessDespite these fans’ insistence that their concern is the fairness and quality of the reviews Folklore receives, they really appear fixated on the album’s Metacritic score. Specifically, many lamented the possibility that Folklore could drop below a 90. At the time of writing, the album’s Metascore is an 89.Music stans have begun using elaborate methods to boost new releases from their favorite artists in recent years. They coordinate streaming parties and create hours-long playlists and pool money to buy as many fans digital copies of new releases as possible. All of this aims to boost albums’ and songs’ chart positions by getting as many people listening for as many hours as possible, on as many platforms as possible.But in targeting a journalist like this, some fans have taken things to a dangerous extreme. And perhaps more importantly, this is not the first time that Swift’s most zealous fans have used doxxing and death threats to punish people they feel have wronged her.Last fall, after Swift urged her followers to “let Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun know how you feel” about their efforts to keep her from using and performing old hits, her fans doxxed both men.Swift’s request might have seemed reasonable to some at the time, given the rights issues at hand. But doxxing is more than an innocent prank, and both Instagram and Twitter have policies prohibiting the practice. Once a person’s private information has been distributed, it’s impossible to make it private again—and given the potentially lethal ways it can be used, that’s a harrowing prospect.On another occasion last summer, furious Swifties also sent death threats and racial slurs to comedians Desus and Mero for “body-shaming” Swift with a joke about the singer having a “very long back.”As Mero told The Daily Beast’s Matt Wilstein, “The FBI called my house. Well actually, they called my local precinct... Somebody had sent me a message saying, ‘I know you have four kids and I know where they go to school.’ And I screen-grabbed it and I was like, ‘I wish you would, motherfucker! Come to my house, I got a rusty machete waiting for you.’”Swift does not appear to have commented on these incidents, either.Musicians have faced backlash in recent years for attacking critics they felt had done them wrong. Last year, Lana Del Rey and Lizzo both drew ire when they attacked critics over reviews they didn’t like. But this case stands out both because the fans themselves are behind the attacks and, most confusingly, did so over a largely positive review.Despite the real and genuinely frightening harassment Mapes has received—including, as she noted in a series of tweets posted Tuesday, repeated phone calls and physical threats—these fans have largely laughed at articles and social media users calling them out for their behavior. As one fan put it, “our impact is unmeasurable it’s so funny pls.”“tell me people don’t actually take ‘threats’ from swifties seriously- half of us are depressed and the other half are dumb do y’all really think we’re gonna hurt you in any way,” another account wrote.But when threats come from faceless Twitter accounts, and are accompanied by real harassment, it’s hard to know how any writer is supposed to determine what is and is not a legitimate threat. Especially as newsroom shootings and threats of violence against journalists become the norm, making light of threatening to burn down a writer’s home is a callous, juvenile “joke” at best.In this context, Swift’s continued silence essentially becomes tacit permission for her fans to continue harassing anyone they please. It’s perhaps not the best look for a pop star who once had a hit all about overcoming bullying—and who last year wrote about fearing for her safety after her personal information was repeatedly shared online.In a tweet posted Tuesday, Mapes wrote that she’s received “more Twitter threats to roll up and harm me than I could stomach to go through.”“I’ve gotten too many emails saying some version of, ‘you are an ugly fat bitch who is clearly jealous of Taylor, plz die,’” Mapes wrote in a thread, “which is not the first time I’ve heard that from pop stans...It sucks to be scared of every person milling about outside or feel like you can’t answer the phone. That said, I am safe and doing fine.”Mapes wrote that her posts were not meant to deride “the Swiftie hive,” but to clarify what had actually happened to prevent misinformation from spreading. (Mapes declined to comment for this story, but provided The Daily Beast permission to quote her tweets as her account remains private.) And indeed, it’s worth noting that Swift fans themselves have, in many cases, joined in urging their fellow fans against spreading misinformation and apologized on behalf of the broader fandom.It’s understandable that longtime Swift fans might be a little sensitive about how their favorite artist is perceived and ranked compared to other artists. For a long time, she and her music could often be dismissed as teenage fluff for screaming tweens. In some arenas, that stereotype prevails.But pop has since risen to astronomical influence since Swift’s earlier years, and garnered more serious consideration than in years past. And especially since 1989, netting her a second Album of the Year Grammy, critics have taken Swift seriously as an artist and lyricist. The fact that Pitchfork, which once made a habit of ignoring pop artists altogether, even bothered to review Folklore—and then gave the album a solid 8.0—expresses that fact better than perhaps anything. So in the words of Swift herself: Anyone throwing temper tantrums on her behalf needs to calm down.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
CelebrityYahoo Celebrity UKTaylor Swift announces surprise new album to be released on 24 July
The 30-year-old has said nothing about the record, which is her eighth studio album, until now.
CelebrityYahoo Celebrity UKKaty Perry publicly ended Taylor Swift feud to be 'example of redemption' for young girls
The 'Roar' singer has lifted the lid on why she and Swift made up in the public eye last year.
CelebrityYahoo Celebrity UKGlastonbury 2021 will go ahead as 'good times are what we need right now'
This year’s festival, which was scheduled to take place this weekend, was to be a celebration marking 50 years since its inception in 1970.
CelebrityYahoo CelebrityCreator of popular petition to replace Confederate statues with Britney Spears tributes says singer 'means more to us than most of the historic figures we've learned about in history class'
A petition to replace Confederate statues in New Orleans with statues of Louisiana native Britney Spears has already amassed more 22,000 signatures.
NewsYahoo Celebrity UKTaylor Swift hits out at former label's 'shameless greed' for releasing unauthorised live album
“It looks to me like [they've] seen the latest balance sheets and realized that paying $330 MILLION for my music wasn't exactly a wise choice and they need money.”
NewsYahoo Celebrity UKTaylor Swift gives money to fans who need cash in coronavirus crisis
Taylor Swift is gifting fans donations to help their financial woes caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UKTaylor Swift unrecognisable as she transforms into a man for scathing new music video
The video contained some thinly-veiled jibes at music boss Scooter Braun.
EntertainmentYahoo News UKTouts jailed for reselling Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift tickets in landmark court case
The pair were found guilty of three counts of fraudulent trading and possession or control of an article for use in fraud.
EntertainmentPA Media: EntertainmentRapper Slowthai confronts fan at NME Awards
He was restrained by security as he argued with an audience member.
EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UKTaylor Swift says Dixie Chicks controversy made her resistant to getting political
Taylor Swift opens up about the difficult decision to make her political beliefs public, and how she's dealing with her mother's health.
EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UKTaylor Swift's mother diagnosed with brain tumour while undergoing breast cancer treatment
"It's just been a really hard time for us as a family."
EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UKThe 6 biggest celebrity spats of 2019
They've got fame and fortune, but that doesn't make them immune to getting involved in some very public fights.
EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UKTaylor Swift passes Michael Jackson as most awarded singer at the AMAs
As Swift accepted the Artist of the Decade Award, everyone was wondering what sort of statement she would make, and if more Borchetta/Braun drama would ensue.
EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UKScooter Braun claims his kids are 'getting death threats' over Taylor Swift row
The talent manager said the singer's words carry a 'tremendous amount of weight'.
- EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UK
Record label denies Taylor Swift's claims over old music
Big Machine Records said they want 'a direct and honest conversation' with the singer.
EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UKScooter Braun denies 'malicious intent' in buying Taylor Swift's back catalogue
Braun said he tries to do things 'above board'.
EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UKTaylor Swift on fighting Trump and surviving the Kanye 'hate frenzy'
The Lover singer opens up on fighting Trump ahead of 2020 elections
EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UKCharli XCX defends ‘out of context’ Taylor Swift comments about her fanbase
The 'Boom Clap' singer says she meant 'absolutely no shade' with her recent remarks about the 'Bad Blood' hitmaker's 2018 tour.
EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UKBarbara Streisand's dogs and the celebrity pets with the highest carbon footprint
From Miley Cyrus to Sharon Osbourne - who takes their pets on planes most often?
EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UKEd Sheeran supports Taylor Swift through feud with Scooter Braun and Justin Bieber
Castle On The Hill singer Ed Sheeran has revealed that he has been talking to Taylor Swift directly following her feud with Scooter Braun.
EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UKChoreographer claims Justin Bieber underpaid her for work: 'Couldn't afford to eat'
Choreographer Emma Portner does not have fond memories of working with Justin Bieber. Portner collaborated with the “Sorry” singer on multiple projects, including starring in his 2015 video for “Life Is Worth Living” and doing choreography for his 2016 Purpose World Tour, which he abruptly cancelled amid personal problems.
EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UKJustin Bieber jumps into 'bullying' row between Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun
Now the Sorry singer has entered the ring with Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun.
EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UKTaylor Swift accused of 'using LGBTQ people as props' in new music video
While Swift using her platform to get political is applause-worthy, many have issues with this song and video.
EntertainmentYahoo Celebrity UKTaylor Swift buries Katy Perry feud with a hug in 'You Need to Calm Down' music video
Taylor Swift and Katy Perry appear to have squashed the beef between them, with Perry making a fun cameo in Swift's video for 'You Need to Calm Down'.
Never miss out on the big stories with the Yahoo News UK Newsletter
By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's Terms and Privacy Policy