The internet has been totally devoured by the latest chapter in the long-running feud between Taylor Swift and Kanye West, an interpersonal conflict that stretches back all the way to the halcyon days of 2009. When West’s wife Kim Kardashian .
The internet has been totally devoured by the latest chapter in the long-running feud between Taylor Swift and Kanye West, an interpersonal conflict that stretches back all the way to the halcyon days of 2009. When West’s wife Kim Kardashian posted a series of Snapchat videos capturing a recorded conversation between Swift and West about his controversial song "Famous," it spawned more questions than any piece of video this side of the Game of Thrones finale. Is there any part of the conversation between Swift and West we’re not seeing? How much did she know about the song before it was released? When did she find out the recording existed? Is this all just a sham designed to boost ratings, Snapchat follower counts, and album sales?
Here’s what we know for sure: West called Swift to earn her consent regarding the line "For all my Southside niggas that know me best / I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex," consent she gave in the taped conversation Kardashian posted on Snapchat. When the song was officially released in mid-February, the line above ended with the phrase, "I made that bitch famous." A representative for Swift released a statement claiming she had no idea about the "bitch" portion of the lyrics, and that she’d "cautioned him against releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message." West denied Swift’s contention that she was entirely unaware. When Swift appeared on stage at the Grammys a few days later, she condemned "people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame," a jab widely interpreted as referencing West.
Here’s the evidence we’re working with, listed in roughly chronological order:
Swift was shocked. This is the version of events that hews closest to public knowledge. West told Swift about part of the line, but didn’t include the "I made that bitch famous" section, and he didn’t play the song for her before its release. When Swift hears the song for the first time, she has a visceral reaction to the line and a change of heart regarding the song itself. She issues a statement condemning the song without clarifying how much she knew about the writing process, and she takes a moment to subtly slam West at the Grammys.
Swift's response could've been emotional and genuine
When she finds out that West has a recording of their conversation, she threatens him with legal action and attempts to bury it because it complicates her initial response. She starts to steel herself for its eventual release when Kardashian mentions it in GQ, preparing a statement and making it clearer that her response to the "bitch" portion of her song was emotional and genuine. She probably could’ve made it clearer that West had attempted to earn her consent, but you can’t begrudge her being affected by a word used to degrade women that was sprung on her without notice.
Swift knew something. If you believe Swift is a little Machiavellian but was ultimately outflanked by West, Kardashian, and momager nonpareil Kris Jenner, this is the story for you. It presumes Swift had enough of a handle on "Famous" to render its ultimate form unsurprising; she might not have cleared the "bitch" line or heard the song in advance, but she understood the sentiment. When the song is released, Swift decides to position herself as the innocent party being victimized by West’s uncouth stylings, a position she reinforces with her speech at the Grammys. When she finds out that West has a recording of their conversation, she attempts to bury the footage so it doesn’t undermine her public response to the song. And when Kardashian talks about the recording in GQ, she prepares a statement that focuses on technicalities an…
Here’s what we know for sure: West called Swift to earn her consent regarding the line "For all my Southside niggas that know me best / I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex," consent she gave in the taped conversation Kardashian posted on Snapchat. When the song was officially released in mid-February, the line above ended with the phrase, "I made that bitch famous." A representative for Swift released a statement claiming she had no idea about the "bitch" portion of the lyrics, and that she’d "cautioned him against releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message." West denied Swift’s contention that she was entirely unaware. When Swift appeared on stage at the Grammys a few days later, she condemned "people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame," a jab widely interpreted as referencing West.
When Kardashian appeared on the cover of GQ last month, she claimed that West and Swift’s conversation had been recorded as part of standard filming West conducts for posterity while recording new music. She also noted that Swift’s attorney had sent a letter demanding the footage of their conversation be destroyed. When GQ contacted Swift for clarification, a spokesperson supplied a lengthy statement in which Swift asserted she’d never heard the "bitch" phrase or the song in full before its release, and that she "cannot understand why Kanye West, and now Kim Kardashian, will not just leave her alone."Here is the entire conversation Taylor & Kanye had, judge for yourself. pic.twitter.com/InTjvPGKe3— ShadyPopMusic (@ShadyPopMusic) July 18, 2016
Here’s the evidence we’re working with, listed in roughly chronological order:
- The song "Famous," a track on West’s album The Life of Pablo
- The statement Swift’s spokesperson gave just after "Famous" was released in February
- The tweets West sent defending his innocence in response to the statement above
- The speech Swift gave at the Grammys while accepting her award for Album of the Year
- The music video for "Famous," which features waxy models of Swift and West (among other celebrities) sleeping naked in a giant bed together
- The interview Kardashian gave GQ that revived the scandal a few months after the Grammys
- The taped conversation Kardashian uploaded to Snapchat last night
- The Apple Notes-composed statement Swift posted on Instagram early this morning
Swift was shocked. This is the version of events that hews closest to public knowledge. West told Swift about part of the line, but didn’t include the "I made that bitch famous" section, and he didn’t play the song for her before its release. When Swift hears the song for the first time, she has a visceral reaction to the line and a change of heart regarding the song itself. She issues a statement condemning the song without clarifying how much she knew about the writing process, and she takes a moment to subtly slam West at the Grammys.
Swift's response could've been emotional and genuine
When she finds out that West has a recording of their conversation, she threatens him with legal action and attempts to bury it because it complicates her initial response. She starts to steel herself for its eventual release when Kardashian mentions it in GQ, preparing a statement and making it clearer that her response to the "bitch" portion of her song was emotional and genuine. She probably could’ve made it clearer that West had attempted to earn her consent, but you can’t begrudge her being affected by a word used to degrade women that was sprung on her without notice.
Swift knew something. If you believe Swift is a little Machiavellian but was ultimately outflanked by West, Kardashian, and momager nonpareil Kris Jenner, this is the story for you. It presumes Swift had enough of a handle on "Famous" to render its ultimate form unsurprising; she might not have cleared the "bitch" line or heard the song in advance, but she understood the sentiment. When the song is released, Swift decides to position herself as the innocent party being victimized by West’s uncouth stylings, a position she reinforces with her speech at the Grammys. When she finds out that West has a recording of their conversation, she attempts to bury the footage so it doesn’t undermine her public response to the song. And when Kardashian talks about the recording in GQ, she prepares a statement that focuses on technicalities an…
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