Taylor Swift draws backlash for ‘all the racists’ lyrics on new ‘Tortured Poets’ album

Taylor Swift released a new album Friday, but not all listeners are loving a controversial line from her new song, “I Hate It Here.”

In the track off of “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology,” a deluxe version of her new album, The Eras Tour singer says she wants to return to an era that ended over a century before her career began.

“My friends used to play a game where we would pick a decade we wished we could live in instead of this;I’d say the 1830s but without all the racists and getting married off for the highest bid,” Swift sings in the track.

What we know about Taylor Swift’s’The Tortured Poets Department’ album so far

The Civil War began in 1861, over 30 years after the 1830s first started, which is the decade Swift references in the song. Slavery was still active in the United States during this time.

“Everyone would look down ’cause it wasn’t fun now seems like it was never even fun back then; Nostalgia is a mind’s trick if I’d been there, I’d hate it,” she continues.

‘So many wrong things about this:’ Social media users react to Taylor Swift’s ‘I Hate It Here’ lyrics

The controversial line has drawn the ire of the internet and fueled conversations surrounding Swift’s lyricism. Users on X, formerly known as Twitter, reacted to Swift’s “I Hate It Here” lyrics.

“y’all.. there are so many wrong things about this,” one user wrote, while posting a screenshot of the song’s lyrics from Genius.

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“‘I’d say the 1830s but without all the racists’ now Taylor…” another user commented.

Other fans on X defended Swift’s songwriting capabilities as historical analysis.

“It’s an interesting commentary on how we sometimes idealize certain eras without fully considering the realities of living in them,” one commenter said.

‘The Tortured Poets Department’ features 31 songs

“The Tortured Poets Department,” Swift’s 11th album features 31 songs, when you add in the 15-song deluxe version “The Anthology,” which includes “I Hate It Here.” The album draws on heartbreak and coming of age, traditional themes for one of the world’s most famous people and songwriters.