The TreeHaw Agenda: Is there Yuletide trouble trouble trouble between Kacey and Taylor?
Merry Trissuesmas! This week, Trissues will be be giving the gift of Content.
Let’s gather round the fireplace and talk about a rumored feud.
Taylor Swift grew up on a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania before convincing her parents to move the family to Nashville because she wanted to become a country singer. She developed a twang, signed a contract with Big Machine Records, became a country singer before crossing over to pop, lost the twang, won a bunch of Grammys, left Big Machine records, feuded with Big Machine records once her nemesis Scooter Braun came into possession of her masters, and is now fighting with Scooter & Scott over her rights to use her songs in an upcoming Netflix documentary.
Kacey Musgraves grew up in East Texas, an area not known for Christmas tree farms. She wanted to be a country singer and I guess maybe already had the twang? She moved to Nashville, made a couple beloved records to the left of country radio establishment and a Christmas album, made an album that crossed over into the mainstream with elements of other genres, won a bunch of Grammys and made a Christmas special with Amazon.
A blind from a few weeks ago item suggests a feud between the two singers, and while I certainly don’t a trust a Blind Gossip item alone, the similarities between the Christmas special set and the “Lover” video are striking.
Basically, both take place at Christmastime in houses comprised of monochromatic mid century ish rooms.
Here’s Taylor:
Source: Taylor Swift/Vevo/YouTube/Republic Records/NOT SCOOTER BRAUN
Here’s Kacey:
Source: Amazon ty Daddi Bezos
Hmmmm….hmmmm….HMMMMM. Look, there’s no way of getting around it, that’s the same damn idea. But whose set is the ghost of Christmas Past? Which I guess is good in this this half cooked metaphor? Look, longtime Trissues readers may recall that the only Dickens content I respect is the Gwyneth Paltrow/Ethan Hawke/Anne Bancroft Great Expectations and A Muppet Christmas Carol. But did you know that JOE ALWYN is Bob Cratchit in a new TV version of A Christmas Carol? Ok, be prepared to forget that information in 3…2…1…
The “Lover” video premiered on August 22, and a week and some change later, Kacey posted this Instagram:
As Comments by Celebs noticed, Kacey also responded to a comment on the photo writing, “So much tea, piping hot. There are some sketttttchy bitches out there lurkin’. That’s all I can say.” Hmm…who is known for lurking? Or Taylurking, as she might say?
The timing doesn’t line up perfectly, but considering Kacey has a bit of history of allegedly being a bit shady towards Taylor and Maren Morris on social media, it’s not nothing. (“Girl” by Maren is rumored to be inspired by Kacey.) Whatever the case, Kacey did congratulate Taylor in her Instagram story following Lover’s release. Whether it was genuine or out of fear for her life we’ll never know.
Now let’s take a look at Taylor and Kacey’s original Christmas songs released in 2019.
Kacey’s is called “Glittery” and features Troye Sivan. The most notable lyric for these purposes is, “Shake me up and turn me upside down just like a snow globe.”
Taylor Swift does not own the concept of snow globes (yet) but they are a very Swiftian image. A bonus track from 1989, “You Are in Love,” features this lyric: “You two are dancing in a snow globe, go round and round.” The snow globe returns at the end of the “Lover” video, when Taylor Swift and the biracial family she will never actually have gazes upon a snow globe of their home that also looks like Kacey’s home.
Yes, this snow globe was available on TaylorSwift.com for $50, but if you missed your chance, you can find one on eBay for $800.
Source: Taylor Swift/YouTube
Taylor wrote the song “Christmas Tree Farm” December 1-2 of this year, which she has documented with a behind the scenes video. Kacey’s special premiered November 29th. Is “Christmas Tree Farm” retaliation????????? Or maybe they both just like Christmas????? Can you tell I had the flu when I wrote this???? Whatever the case, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” finally hit #1 this year.
Kacey also released some behind the scenes footage. According to a trailer for the special, Kacey came up with the idea last Christmas. The trailer includes inspiration boards clearly labeled SPRING.
Source: Kacey Musgraves/YouTube/Amazon Prime Video
You may recall how Taylor’s Katy Perry feud was allegedly all over some stolen backup dancers. Unlike Katy Perry and Taylor, if there is a feud here, it does seem to be an even fight. Katy Perry does not thrive under conflict. Did you know that Kacey originally wrote “Follow Your Arrow” for Katy? Katy wisely insisted she keep it, and what would have been a bad Katy Perry song became a great Kacey Musgraves song.
Whatever the case, I think Taylor and Kacey are both smart enough to know that publicly feuding would not be a good look for them right now, so I think it’s unlikely to play out publicly.
The zeitgeist certainly leads us down the same path, who can forget 2011, the year of No Strings Attached and Friends with Benefits? Coincidences happen, and it’s not completely unbelievable that two artists who are roughly the same age, have quite a bit in common and both really love Christmas would end up liking the same art direction.
BUT if Taylor did steal the concept (or vice versa), how was the set design leaked? Do we have a double agent here? Let’s look at all the special guest stars of Kacey’s Christmas special for Taylor Swift ties.
Zooey Deschanel I cannot pretend to understand Zooey Deschanel’s motivations in the year 2019. But she did Instagram an old video of herself pointing at Taylor Swift upon the release of Lover, which we will go ahead and assume means she’s pro-Swift in addition to being extremely pro-Christmas.
James Corden James and Taylor costar in CATS. I don’t understand why he’s in Kacey’s special, but he is sans digital fur technology. I really don’t understand this, but he’s close friends with Harry Styles, who is on Taylor’s long list of ex-lovers and a former tourmate of Kacey’s. He released his new album on Taylor’s birthday and recently played with Kacey at her giant Nashville show, so it’s safe to say Harry errs #TeamKacey. But he’s not even in this Christmas special, so once again, I have just made something about Harry Styles that didn’t need to be about Harry Styles. James Corden has no true loyalties besides the death of joy.
Kendall Jenner SPEAKING of alleged Harry Styles ex-girlfriends. Kendall is definitely not a Swiftie. How’d she end up in Kacey’s camp? Well, it seems to have begun with an Instagram. Kendall posted a shot in which a Golden Hour billboard was blurred out in the background. Kacey had fun with it, and somewhere along the road, they became friends. In fact, borrowing from Taylor’s country to pop playbook, Kacey’s been surrounding herself with a gaggle of models. Kendall’s bit actually turned out to be the funniest part of Kacey’s special, in part because she doesn’t talk.
Kacey’s Nana Kacey’s Nana presumably prefer’s Kacey to Taylor Swift, but is it possible that Kacey’s Nana leaked the set design to get back at Kacey for piercing her nose? (No, it’s just not.)
Dan Levy There is a four second clip on YouTube called “dan levy and taylor swift are best friends” that shows him walking her off stage after he and Heidi Klum presented Taylor with an American Music Award. So that’s it, Dan Levy and Taylor Swift are best friends.
Fred Armisen I’m so tired.
Troye Sivan Taylor was an early supporter of Troye’s music career, and her endorsement certainly played a small hand in propelling him to pop stardom. More recently, he was one of the select few welcooooomed to the staaaaaage on Taylor Swift’s Reputation World Tour. Troye had an important role in the Christmas special, duetting with Kacey on her new single, “Glittery.”
Camilla Cabello Ah yes, Taylor Swift’s Reputation World Tour. A thing I never talk about! Camilla and Charli XCX both opened for Taylor, and came back to help perform “Shake It Off” later in the night. (In Taylor’s career retrospective performance at the AMAs, Camilla and Halsey performed the song with Taylor. Charli was busy touring in Europe, which is way more fun that the American Music Awards, but STILL.) Camilla’s friendship with Taylor predates her departure from Fifth Harmony and Tay seems to be doing as much work to convince people Camilla and Shawn Mendes are actually dating, so that bond seems to be tight.
The Radio City Rockettes Welcome to New York Welcome to New York
Lana Del Rey I prefer not to question Lana’s intentions. Lana does as Lana does! But IDK, I guess she worked with *shudder* Jack Antonoff this year who has become Taylor’s most trusted collaborator sooo…there’s that?
This Puppy
Source: Amazon
K, the dog is for sure the narc. We have our answer!
xoxo Tracey