Possibly one of Taylor Swift's most anticipated songs, "Karma," is currently nine on Billboard Hot 100.
There are many reasons "Karma" was so anticipated, one being the history of the word in her fandom.
Swift has had a history of releasing an album every two years.
Debut came out in 2006
Fearless in 2008
Speak Now in 2010
Red in 2012
1989 in 2014
Reputation in 2017
Lover in 2019
Folklore and Evermore as a surprise in 2020
And Midnights in 2022
Do you notice a gap in the pattern? There were three years in between 1989 and Reputation. But why? In 2016, Taylor Swift had all of the signs of entering a new era. Her style was different, but most noticably her hair.
This era is most notable name for the term was "Bleachella," because this era doesn't go with an album. It's her one era not belonging to an album, which already leave fans to believe that there is a missing album. Additionally, there were lots of easter eggs pointing towards a rock album titled "Karma." Here's an overview of 2016, and why fans believe it would be the perfect year to release such an album:
Swift had just ended touring for her huge success of switching over to pop with 1989. She had previously made ammends with Kanye West, who interrupted her acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, and they were publicly friendly.
Until 2016, when West released "Famous" which features lines such as “I feel like me and Taylor might still have s**/Why?/I made that b**** famous.” Swift spoke out about the song and it's pointed lyrics towards her, which sparked questions as to whether she had given permission for the song.
In July, West's wife Kim Kardashian released videos on her snapchat of a phone call where Swift appears to give permission for the song's release.
Swift then left social media and stopped making public appearances for the rest of 2016. Twitter was filled with tweets, and #TaylorSwiftIsOverParty became trending.
Could her new look have been for an era that never happened?
Swift also often spoke about karma itself. Most noticably, after debuting her new look on the cover of Vogue she participated in a 73 Questions video posted on Youtube. She makes a point to look directly at the camera and say "Karma is real."
While this could be simply using a common phrase, Swift continued to use the word. In the Lover era in 2019, she uses it yet again. Fans went crazy when they saw "Karma" spray painted in orange on a graffiti wall with all of Swift's past album names. Additionally, there was a sign that read "MISSING: IF FOUND, RETURN TO TAYLOR SWIFT" next to "Karma" and a "No Scooters" sign which is a reference to Scooter Braun.
"Karma" is written on the wall twice, and once at the Midnight point of a clock. It's even in orange, which fans have associated as the album color. In the "Look What You Made Me Do" music video, Swift is seen swinging around a giant orange bird cage. This can be seen as a symbol for her missing album being stuck in vault purgatory. The song also notably has the lyric "All I think about is karma."
While it's not confirmed whether or not Track 11 is a nod to her missing album, the song does have many fans wondering who it could be about. It is highly likely it could be about Kanye West, especially as the album was announced 13 years after he interrupted her. Speaking of karma, West even lost $1 billion after being dropped by brands within the very week Midnights was dropped. But most lyrics seem to point towards Scooter Braun.
Braun bought her first six albums from Big Machine Records' Scott Borchetta. “This is my worst case scenario,” Swift wrote on her Tumblr in June 2019 soon after the news was announced. “This is what happens when you sign a deal at fifteen to someone for whom the term ‘loyalty’ is clearly just a contractual concept. And when that man says ‘Music has value’, he means its value is beholden to men who had no part in creating it. When I left my masters in Scott’s hands, I made peace with the fact that eventually he would sell them,” she continued. “Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine the buyer would be Scooter. Any time Scott Borchetta has heard the words ‘Scooter Braun’ escape my lips, it was when I was either crying or trying not to. He knew what he was doing; they both did. Controlling a woman who didn’t want to be associated with them. In perpetuity. That means forever.”
One verse in particular points towards Braun:
"Spiderboy, king of thieves
Weave your little webs of opacity
My pennies made your crown
Trick me once
Trick me twice
Don't you know that cash ain't the only price?
It's coming back around
And I keep my side of the street clean
You wouldn't know what I mean"
The clearest lyric is that her pennies made his crown, which could be reffereing to her stolen albums and her refusal to let that define her. She is currently in the process of re-releasing her stolen albums, while adding additional songs to each. Fans were also quick to point out that "Spiderboy" has the same initials as Scooter Braun. Coincidence? And Braun is also an investor in 100 Thieves, possibly making him a "king of thieves?"
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