Some Fans Call Taylor Swift 'Cringe' as Online Debate Grows

On social media, a small but vocal contingent contends that liking Taylor Swift is "cringe." Ms. Swift remains one of the most successful pop stars of her generation: she is among the most popular touring artists of the past 25 years, one of the most streamed artists on Spotify, and has the most Grammy nominations for song of the year.

Her Eras tour grossed $2 billion, and the article says her fans are "willing to spend their life’s savings on her." On Reddit some fans discuss their decision to "hide" their love for her, and TikTok users have compiled rankings of the cringiest moments. A representative for Ms. Swift did not comment.

Observers offer several explanations. Georgia Carroll, who has studied Ms. Swift’s fan community, said, "I think it’s the combination of the come-down from her being the hottest ticket with the Eras tour combined with us millennials facing our place in the wider cringe world." Ms.

Swift has also embraced cringe herself; in a 2022 graduation speech at New York University she said, "Learn to live alongside cringe." The debate intensified after her fall album "The Life of a Showgirl," which some interpreted as including odes to her fiancé Travis Kelce’s manhood and a diss track aimed at Charli XCX; critics called it both "a masterpiece of cringe" and "a catchy and substantive but unflashy album." Fans remain divided.

Key Topics

Culture, Taylor Swift, Eras Tour, Travis Kelce, Charli Xcx, Reddit