Taylor Breaks Her Silence

In the years since Taylor Swift last appeared on our cover [RS 1218, in 2014], she withdrew from the public eye, stepping back to reclaim privacy. In conversation with senior writer Brian Hiatt [“Taylor Swift: The ROLLING STONE Interview,” RS 1332],

Swift gives the most revealing interview of her career, and in four days it surpassed half a million unique views online. She delved into her contentious relationship with Kanye West, why she’s focusing on the 2020 election, and the surprise betrayal of her former label boss. “Reading this feels like we personally caught up,” said reader “Doj.”

“What a brutally honest deep dive into what really happened in the quiet, darker years.” Added Allison O’Lantern, “It was totally worth a precious halfhour of non-law-school reading.” But not all readers were interested in old feuds. “What happened with Kanye West does not define you,” wrote Marie.

“I’m ready for questions to stop being asked about that.” Of course, non-Swift fans had something to say about the piece. “Taylor Swift: who everyone should get their political analysis from, despite her admitting that she’s essentially just learning about politics,” said reader Dennis Ledesma.

“People are going to focus on the Kanye revelations, but we cannot overlook what Taylor Swift says about politics today. She’s spot-on.”

—Kimberly, via Twitter