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Taylor Swift

What about her reputation? Taylor Swift's politics draw praise, backlash

Juan Buitrago
The Tennessean
Taylor Swift performs at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018.

Were you ready for it?

It seems nobody expected Taylor Swift to ever get political, and her Sunday night post on the upcoming Tennessee Senate race sent shock waves through social media. 

The 28-year-old superstar took to Instagram on Sunday night to weigh in on Tennessee’s closely contested Senate race between Democratic former Gov. Phil Bredesen and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, the Republican nominee.

She endorsed Bredesen and offered a harsh rebuke of Blackburn, saying "her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me."

Of course, reaction was ... swift, with many Blackburn and GOP supporters blasting the singer for playing politics as well as an outpouring of praise for doing the same thing. 

There's a lot to unpack from the response to Swift's comments, so let's dive in: 

Shut up and sing

Her endorsement of Bredesen marks the first time Swift has spoken publicly about politics. 

In the post, Swift said she has been has been "reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now."

Some believe she should have stayed silent: 

Taylor Swift vs. Kanye West, Part 2 

Many were quick to point out how Swift's comments contrast with Kayne West and his outspoken support of President Trump, including wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat and delivering an impromptu speech after "Saturday Night Live"

Taylor Swift gets political? 

But really, a lot of people were just shocked. Many praised the singer for finally voicing her opinion and encouraging people to vote.

In the end, we can all agree that the whole situation might best be described by tweets like these: 

Contributing: David Jackson

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