Days after it was released, Taylor Swift changed the music video in response to criticism of one of the moments.
In the first video for Anti-hero, the singer stands on a scale that reads “FAT,” and her alter ego shakes her head, perhaps in disdain. The sequence, according to critics, reinforced the word’s negative connotations and was “fatphobic.”
After Lizzo and Beyonce removed offensive lyrics from new songs, Swift is the most recent artist to do so.
One of the songs on Swift’s most recent album, Midnights, is Anti-hero. It was released last week and has already surpassed the record for the most Spotify albums streamed in a single day. The controversy and disapproval surrounding Swift’s written and directed Anti-hero music video, however, has in some ways eclipsed its popularity.
However, the singer also received compliments and encouragement, with many online commenting that she was only sharing her own experiences with difficulties with body image.
Taylor Swift is the most recent A-lister to face pressure to update their work recently. An ableist slur was removed from the lyrics of Lizzo’s song Grrrls in June, while Beyonce changed the lyrics of her song Heated a few weeks later.
