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.
While Taylor Swift’s eligibility to rank in triple j’s Hottest 100 may be in contention, likely because of the actions of a fast food joint, the voracious social media campaign to get the Shake It Off singer into the annual poll continues. Opinions on the subject are mixed, even amongst the Australian music community with acts like The Preatures, Urthboy, Flight Facilities and Peking Duk all weighing in on the debate.
Sydney 5-piece The Preatures took to Twitter to share their piece, claiming that while they’re fans of Swift and her 2014 worldwide hit Shake It Off, they don’t believe the track should be eligible for the triple j poll because it hasn’t been played on the station.
“Whether or not Taylor should be played on triple j is a different debate. There’s no doubt she is loved by listeners,” they wrote. “But she wasn’t discovered or fostered by triple j like most of the major acts they play are.”
Flight Facilities then joined the fray, first in response to The Preatures’ comments by writing, “The real shame would be if Shake It Off pushed an up and coming act just outside the 100.” Interestingly, if the predictions of Social Hottest 100 are to be believed, Swift’s inclusion will knock triple j Unearthed High winner Japanese Wallpaper out of the top 100.
Flight Facilities then elaborated on their argument in the form of a full statement. “The most mind boggling thing about this whole campaign is the fact that everyone throws their arms up when Taylor Swift isn’t recognised on triple j, but where are the outraged people demanding successful independent acts, like Chet Faker and The Preatures be played on commercial radio?” write the duo.
“The Hottest 100 could do with one more triple-j nurtured indie song, and not a sleekly designed 5 X platinum single, voted in (mostly) for the purpose of trying to piss people off”. A similar argument was made by Urthboy, who agrees that the pro-Shake It Off campaign is an interesting push back against the usually male-dominated Hottest 100 poll but that the track shouldn’t be included at the expense of “a great local artist and song”.
On the other end of the opinion spectrum is Hottest 100 current favourite Peking Duk who recently outed themselves as closet Taylor Swift fans. “We try not to think about [who might top the poll] ’cause we know Taylor Swift is gonna win,” Peking Duk’s Adam Hyde told Pedestrian TV. “If she does [take the top spot], good on her. I kinda hope she does,” said bandmate Reuben Styles.
“There’s trolls that are voting because it’s funny and that’s the part where it gets a bit like ‘awww, c’mon,” Styles added. According to Fairfax, both Megan Washington and Sticky Fingers’ Paddy Cornwall are both unperturbed about Swift’s possible placement in the countdown.
Although Cornwall characterised the hypothetical of Swift nabbing the top spot as “a cringeworthy moment”, he added that, “It’s far from the first time a crappy song would have won the Hottest 100.” According to Washington, “everyone needs to chill out”.
“The Hottest 100 is a snapshot of the zeitgeist and there’s no denying Taylor Swift is firmly in the zeitgeist,” she said. “I see absolutely no problem with that being reflected [in the] Hottest 100.”
While not Australian, Amanda Palmer also posted an Instagram picture in support of Swift. “Dear triple j – one (1) absentee ballot Taylor Swift, Amanda Fucking Palmer” it reads. See how Australian acts have reacted to the #Tay4Hottest100 campaign in the gallery below.
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.
Gallery: Aussies Acts Wade Into #Tay4Hottest100 Debate
Aussies Acts Wade Into #Tay4Hottest100 Debate 4
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Flight Facilities weigh into the debate. -
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Flight Facilities' statement 1/2. -
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Flight Facilities' statement 2/2. -
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The Preatures share their piece. -
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Flight Facilities respond. -
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Urthboy joins the debate. -
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Hottest 100 favourites Peking Duk out themselves as Taylor Swift fans.
