It’s official, everyone: Taylor Swift is on TikTok. On August 23, our new favorite creator entered the TikTok world when she posted a video to announce that Red (Taylor’s Version) is now available to preorder on vinyl. She was lip-syncing to Screwface Capital by the British rapper Dave, proving that even though Blondie is a millennial, she’s mastered the Gen Z app like no other. Her TikTok debut included some pretty smooth transitions, with changes of scenery, outfits, and hairstyles — each representing one of her recent album eras, from folklore to Red (Taylor’s Version). She captioned the video with, “Lots going on at the moment: Red (my version) vinyl is up for presale on my site and oh I’m on tiktok now let the games begin 😺,” and even added the hashtag #SwiftTok, a side of TikTok that was already very popular among Swifties.
The official introduction of #SwiftTok once again reminds fans of how Taylor loves to conspire (in the best way), since we can tell by her outfits that she’s likely been planning this for ages – or at least since last summer, when the folklore clip was probably filmed. Her mind; we love an organized business woman!
Within minutes of her first video, welcome wishes for the singer flooded all of my timelines, from fans to celebs to brands. TikTok’s official account wrote, “Guess the app is called #SwiftTok now,” and I couldn’t agree more. Singer Charlie Puth welcomed his “fellow Sag,” and Taylor responded by saying she’s been lurking his account “for ages.” Uh? Didn’t you just get here, Taylor? The fact that she used the word “lurking” makes me wonder if she has a private TikTok account; how long has she been watching all of us lose our minds on this clock app?! And was that word choice a hint? Is this the revival of taylurking? (If you’re not familiar, Swifties created the term taylurking back in Taylor’s Tumblr days, when she’d lurk quietly in the background, occasionally sending nice comments to fans or liking their posts.) Pick me, Taylor!
Because it’s been a while since she’s been particularly active on any of her social media accounts, I thought her TikTok presence would consist of a video every once in a while if we were lucky. But Taylor posted her second TikTok just two days later. Giving justice to her bio — “This is pretty much just a cat account” — she welcomed her cats Meredith, Olivia, and Benjamin to #SwiftTok, showcasing how proud she is to be a cat lady. I don’t know if it’s the fact that lately I’ve only seen her in red carpet outfits or performance clothes, but she looked so normal wearing a pair of jeans and a tank that it felt like she was just another one of us. It also looked like she made the video herself, which leads me to believe SwiftTok is going to bring us even closer to Taylor, just like Tumblr once did – except instead of a reblog or a supportive note, now she’s posting videos with her cats, from her own home. Doesn’t this sound like the type of content your best friend would send you?
I’m literally over here acting like Taylor Swift, the 11x Grammy Award winner, is one of my closest friends. Whenever I see something funny, you can bet your money I’m tagging my BFF. There are so many things on TikTok that she should see, so I’m really just doing my part. Like this video of user @chamberlin_kevin singing You Belong With Me to a sandwich – “Hey, bestie, you should see this,” I wrote, like the great friend I am. Or this video of @coditrichell singing “…Ready For It?” at the Reputation Stadium tour. I’m just keeping her informed, okay? This cute video of @madzzyy_ meeting Taylor during the Lover era is way too precious for Blondie not to give it a watch, and Taylor should definitely see the impact she has on her fans as Swifties follow her lead, like @aleasonnon’s TikTok proves. The list is truly endless, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t make sure it was on her radar. Imagine if she were to start duetting us? I can’t even handle the thought.
While I’m happy I have one more friend to tag in an excessive amount of videos, some Swifties were shocked by Taylor’s TikTok debut. Some are also a little worried she’ll see things fans thought she absolutely never would, like us criticizing (in a loving way, of course) how much she overuses parentheses. Knowing TikTok is the new designated platform for taylurking, it feels both exciting and unsettling. Will I be posting videos hoping for Taylor Nation to invite me to a future Secret Session? You bet. But will Swifties keep posting videos making fun of Taylor? For entertainment purposes only, I can only hope. Blondie’s pretty good at taking a joke and running with it, and I can’t wait to see what her TikTok era brings.