Taylor Swift Reportedly Disqualified From Triple J Hottest 100
It looks like the anti-Taylor Swift Triple J listeners have won. The catchy songs of the U.S. singer hve apparently been disqualified from the Australian radio station's Hottest 100 after fast food restaurant chain KFC launched a campaign for her.
Swift has unwittingly been involved in a campaign that aims to make her hit “Shake It Off” win the annual music poll despite the song having never been played in the station in 2014. Thanks to her loyal Aussie fans, the campaign was going well. There were those who weren't happy with Swift's pop songs making the chart though, since the radio station favours alternative and local music to pop and commercial tracks.
However, it seems Swift's fans' effort to vote for her has been all for naught as she is now reportedly disqualified. KFC also jumped in on social media campaign to put Taylor on the Australian countdown and has offered a $19.89 voucher for customers to post their favourite song of the 25-year-old multi-award winner. This is an alleged breach of one of the countdown's rule.
According to the voting rules, Triple J “reserves the right to remove artists from the list who have benefited from competitions or commercial campaigns that incentivise fans to vote for them.” KFC doesn't directly encourage fans to vote for Swift, but it could be seen as such by the station.
A station rep declined to confirm or deny Swift's disqualification, but former Triple J announcer Angela Catterns revealed the American songstress has, indeed, been eliminated from the poll.
“You probably know there was a push to have a Taylor Swift song in there, which now had to be disqualified because a fast food chain became involved in the whole process,” Catterns told ABC's “The Drum” on Monday. When asked how she would feel if the song had been voted in, she replied she's fine with it since it was just a gag and it wasn’t offensive.
She also agreed, though, that the “snobbishness” of the radio station's listeners had made it impossible for Swift to succeed in the poll. Triple J Hottest 100 will reveal its most popular songs on Australia Day.
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