Taylor Swift sticks to social media to publicise album Reputation, shunning the tabloids and magazines it pokes fun at
The singer did no interviews and only spoke directly to her diehard fans on social media, but since its release on November 10, her record has sold more than one million copies – the highest-selling album of the year
The album cover pictured the pop star in black and white, her name splashed across columns of newsprint and her face partially covered with newspaper imagery. Might Swift be trying to send a message about how she’s been portrayed in the press over the last decade?
Taylor Swift’s latest album Reputation has a more adult sexuality and no ‘playing victim’
Not so subtle, especially considering the name of the album, which arrives after her reputation took a hit in the past two years with public feuds with fellow celebrities.
Then there’s the fact that Swift completely avoided the media during the album roll-out cycle. No magazine cover story, no late-night TV chats, no radio appearances. She stopped by Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show, but only to perform new songs. So far, her only interaction with the press has been to Instagram lines from positive reviews of Reputation, quoting the writer and publication by name with the caption “thank you” and a heart emoji.
Of course, Swift is one of the most popular entertainers in the world, so you could argue she doesn’t need to publicise her new album. The very act of being Taylor Swift is publicity itself. The strategy worked – since its release on November 10, Reputation has officially sold more than one million copies, making it the highest-selling album of the year.