Taylor Swift's latest album, 'The Tortured Poets Department', has been a chart-topper extraordinaire, breaking records like there is no tomorrow. But not everyone's singing her praises. Critics are crying foul, accusing Swift of pulling out all the stops to stay on top - and we mean all of them. Although her long-playing vinyl records have served the likes of the devout swifties, detractors claim she's deliberately muscling out other artists, sparking a fiery debate about the true cost of her success. 

An American journalist, who is also a well-known music critic, has slammed the pop star for her desperate practices. 

Taking to his Instagram handle, Anthony Fanton, the music critic and internet personality who runs TheNeedleDrop, a music-reviewing YouTube channel, granted Taylor Swift the “Pettiest Pop Star” award, arguing against her marketing tactics. Pointing at the aftermath of Charlie XCX’s recent release ‘BRAT’, the critic remarked on how it took Taylor Swift no time to drop a UK-only version of her record-breaking album with additional tracks to own the trends and overshadow XCX.

“How desperate are you for that number one spot…” asked the critic in his video calling out Taylor Swift’s dire necessity to ensure she is the “top dog in the UK”. While the critic acknowledged that these circumstances could be "mere coincidence," they could not shake off the feeling that something fishy was afoot. From an outsider's perspective, the dots seemed to connect in a way that was hard to ignore, further said Fantano. 

Taylor Swift Makes Yet Another ‘The Tortured Poet’s Department’ Record, but This Time She Has to Share It With a Legend

Taylor Swift's over-the-top success stories have also encountered yet another controversy in just the recent past that further adds to the sceptical claims. It's none other than the Billie Eilish feud. 

The rumored feud between Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift took a surprising turn, with both artists engaging in a subtle yet intense battle for chart supremacy. Eilish used her promotional cycle to subtly criticize Swift, dropping casual but pointed remarks that have not gone unnoticed. However, it appears Swift has retaliated in her way, releasing bonus editions of her album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ to coincide with Eilish's album release, in a move that hints at her determination to outdo her younger counterpart.

This feud marks a departure from Billie Eilish's typically laid-back demeanor and suggests that she may be willing to engage in the same kind of petty battles that Taylor Swift has become notorious for. Meanwhile, Swift's actions accused her of desperately trying to maintain her spot at the top of the Billboard Hot 200, even if it meant going beyond her usual tactics. The drama has left fans eagerly watching to see how far these two music titans will go to outdo each other.

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What is your take on Anthony Fanton’s comments on Taylor Swift? Let us know in the comments below.