Taylor Swift’s refusal to endorse Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris shows the pop star is becoming “cynical” — and the world of politics may have just been one of her temporary eras, a Variety reporter claimed in a new article.
Daniel D’Addario, the publication’s chief Hollywood trade correspondent, argued that the pop superstar’s relative silence about this year’s race for the White House is out of the ordinary.
“The idea that she will remain silent seems to make her past speaking out, at a more opportune moment, seem cynical,” D’Addario wrote.
“It would be a shame if her engagement with the world of politics was just another one of her eras that she was willing to move on from.”
Swift endorsed two Democratic candidates in Tennessee — where she moved when she was 14 — ahead of the 2018 midterm elections and endorsed Joe Biden in 2020.
She released her album Lover in 2019, which included lyrics that appeared to support LGBTQ issues – although critics argued that the Easter eggs were vague and unfulfilled.
However, Swift has remained notably silent on the race for the White House as she has been involved in her very public romance with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce.
Last weekend, she was seen hooking up with Brittany Mahomes — even after the wife of Chiefs quarterback Pat Mahomes liked one of Donald Trump’s Instagram posts in August and the former president thanked her in return.
She was also remarkably calm earlier this year when Trump posted AI-generated images of Swift seemingly endorsing her, though she is “unusually protective of her likeness even by celebrity standards.” the Variety writer wrote.
“There is nothing the world’s most famous performer does without purpose and forethought,” D’Addario wrote.
“Her Eras tour will continue until December, after the elections; It’s not unreasonable to think that Swift speaking at a hotly contested race could come with an element of risk.”
After officials foiled a terrorist attack plot during one of Swift’s shows in Vienna, the singer wrote on Instagram that she wouldn’t “talk about something publicly if I think it might provoke those who would want to harm fans who come to my shows.”
D’Addario noted that Swift’s decision to delve into political issues — seen in her 2020 feature-length documentary Miss Americana — came at a time when her career was “very much in flux.”
“Going from headline artist to among the biggest acts in recorded music history, Swift simply has more at stake now,” D’Addario wrote.
While Swift spoke out against the ruling party in 2020, she would now have to defend it — a potentially less “palatable” move, Variety’s correspondent argued.
It’s also unclear how useful celebrity endorsements are, since Hillary Clinton lost despite a flood of star power in 2016, he argued.
Swift may yet voice her support for Harris. She endorsed Biden in early October.
“Swift seems in one sense to have no more responsibility to speak up than any other high-profile person — perhaps she could argue that she has a responsibility to remain silent,” D’Addario said.
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