UPDATE: Triple J’s Hottest 100 is underway, and Taylor Swift has officially been disqualified. Keep up to date with live updates and milestones here.
It’s been a controversial few days for Taylor Swift in Australia, likely unbeknownst to Swift herself. The eligibility for her song Shake It Off rank in triple j’s Hottest 100 being called into question, and now a former triple j presenter has retracted her earlier claims that the Shake It Off singer had been disqualified from the competition altogether.
Earlier this week, Angela Catterns made the assertion that Swift was no longer eligible to place in the Hottest 100, despite an online push from fans, because a “fast food chain” had become involved in the process, in defiance of triple j’s voting rules.
However, reports Fairfax, Catterns retracted her comment on her 2UE afternoon show on Wednesday, saying she “may have spoken too soon, that hasn’t happened yet … that’s not my call”.
“Triple j is not saying anything,” Catterns continued. “But as I understand it if there’s a commercial involvement it defeats the purpose of having a listener-driven poll. I still believe with a fast food chain jumping on the bandwagon it’s a classic example of the commercialisation of youth culture.”
She later added that she believes “it’s a bit of a corruption of the whole [countdown] to have her on there”.
While Catterns never elaborated on which fast food chain she was referring to, KFC had posted a Facebook image week of Swift with the hashtag #tay4hottest100. KFC have since removed the post and clarified they did not intend to incentivise followers to vote for Swift in the Hottest 100 poll. Voting in the Hottest 100 closed on Sunday.
Triple j have thus far stayed silent on the issue, but a leaked email reportedly from station manager Chris Scaddan has surfaced, informing triple j staff not to publicly (or even privately) discuss the social media campaign to get Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off into the Hottest 100 of 2014. “Don’t worry… It will all become clear when we get to the countdown next Monday,” the email continues.
Triple j’s Hottest 100 of 2014 countdown begins at its traditional time of midday on Australia Day, Monday, 26th January.
UPDATE: Triple J’s Hottest 100 is underway, and Taylor Swift has officially been disqualified. Keep up to date with live updates and milestones here.
