At midnight Eastern Time on Thursday night, the moment Taylor Swift fans have long waited for will finally arrive: Taylor’s music will return in full to all streaming services at exactly that moment to be enjoyed by one and all. The announcement came via an Instagram message posted on the TaylorNation account, saying that in honor of her most recent album 1989 selling 10 million copies and receiving a 100 million song certification by the RIAA, she is celebrating by allowing her entire backlog to once again be streamed on Spotify and other platforms. Variety later confirmed the news and the timing.
While this announcement is probably a business decision first and foremost, the timing is also more than a little fishy as it’s happening the same night that Katy Perry’s latest album Witness drops. The two artists have what can only be described as a feud, although after Swift’s single “Bad Blood” that seemed to target her contemporary the battle has been more than a little one-sided. Perry’s latest supposed shot across the bow was her recent single “Swish Swish,” but some fans dismissed speculation about it being a diss track completely while others criticized it for being called a “diss” track without it being a hard hitting attempt at all.
While Swift isn’t one to base her business decisions fully on spite or some ongoing tabloid battle, she is also a PR maestro who knows what the public will latch on to and uses those details to her advantage year in and year out. Her next album is widely expected to land at some point in the fall and as she’s been hidden away from the public eye since New Year’s Eve (give or take a few boyfriend rumors) this would be a solid first step back into the music scene before a full promotional push while also undercutting some of Perry’s press on her album release day. Or at least a winking reminder to her peers that she can return to the top of the heap whenever she well chooses.
