Taylor Swift Is Watching You
As yet, Taylor Swift hasn’t done a single interview about Reputation, the new album that’s now only a month away. This weekend, she announced the first two live concerts behind the record, both of them at commercial radio holiday extravaganzas unlikely to carry much of a personal touch. Other than some short behind-the-scenes videos and AT&T promo spots, she’s hardly been seen in public. But there’s one place you might hope to get ahold of Taylor Swift directly: in the comment section of an Instagram livestream.
Fans have recently reported sightings of Swift’s official account joining livestreams and posting comments like, “Hiiiiiiiii” and “You’re the cutest!!!!!” BuzzFeed collected screenshots, and there’s more captured on message boards and fan Twitter accounts. (If you’re talking to Taylor Swift online, you can also expect to see your username published on BuzzFeed.) Swift apparently even voted in a fan poll asking whether Reputation would live up to its predecessors — she was a “yes.”
Direct social media contact is nothing new for Swift, who’s long been reported to interact with fans on her former platform of choice, Tumblr. Live video, of course, is a new game: As internet dopamine hits go, “Taylor Swift read my blog” pales in comparison to “Taylor Swift is watching me at this very moment.” Is the real Swift actually spending her downtime seeking out fan livestreams and tapping out heart-eyed cat emojis? Since Swift doesn’t follow anyone from her official account, one imagines she’s at least getting help finding active livestreams. It’s also worth noting that Swift has cooperated with Instagram itself in the past; its developers once worked up a comment filter to protect her from snakes.
In a sense, dropping in on a stream is the perfect Swift maneuver: authentic and relatable to the fan, superficial and contrived to the skeptic, and producing return on investment all the while. Doubters will note that @taylorswift has yet to come through with a reaction shot. Maybe the real Taylor Swift couldn’t come to the phone. (Maybe there’s just no good selfie angle inside a giant suitcase.) Taylor, if it’s really you, DM anytime.
This article originally appeared on Spin.