Taylor Swift's new album, The Tortured Poets Department, a double feature with TTPD: The Anthology, quickly stirred speculations about a potential reference to Kim Kardashian, especially with one track on the anthology titled "thanK you aIMee."
In the song, Swift, 34, delves into themes of bullying, which, combined with the strategic capitalization of the letters "KIM" in the title, sparked fan theories suggesting a reference to the reality star.
According to a source from PEOPLE, Kardashian, 43, is ready to put the past behind her. "She's over it and thinks Taylor should move on," the source explained, adding that the SKIMS founder is baffled by Swift's continued focus on the incident, "It's been literally years."
The lyrics of "thanK you aIMee" speak volumes, with the pop star expressing the emotional toll of the conflict: "All that time you were throwin' punches, I was buildin' somethin' / And I can't forgive the way you made me feel / Screamed 'F--- you, Aimee' to the night sky, as the blood was gushin' / But I can't forget the way you made me heal." Later in the song, Swift reflects on overcoming the strife with a more positive tone, indicating healing and growth.
The ongoing feud between the two superstar celebs traces all the way back to 2016, involving Kardashian's ex-husband Kanye West and his controversial song "Famous." West claimed the Anti-Hero singer had approved controversial lyrics in the song, which Swift refuted. The dispute escalated when Kardashian released selectively edited footage of a phone call between West and Swift, which did not include West mentioning the specific lyric, "I made that b--ch famous."
By 2019, Kardashian expressed on Watch What Happens Live that everyone involved had moved past the feud, although Swift's comments in her profile for TIME's 2023 Person of the Year suggested otherwise. The 14 time Grammy winner described the ordeal as devastatingly impactful, stating, "You have a fully manufactured frame job, in an illegally recorded phone call, which Kim Kardashian edited and then put out to say to everyone that I was a liar."
Barstool Sports founder and known Swiftie Dave Portnoy, quickly took to social media to celebrate the new album release on April 19. He enthusiastically posted on X (formerly Twitter), "#KIMKARDASHIAN GOT WRECKED," following the debut of "thanK you aIMee." Portnoy also appreciated Swift's subtle nod to their feud by capitalizing "KIM" in the song's title, expressing his approval with, "No defining clues besides capitalizing her name. I love Taylor."
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