Taylor Swift was never banned from this year’s Hottest 100, triple j clarifies

“​​There has never been a ban on Taylor Swift”, a spokesperson insisted following the singer’s absence from the 2022 countdown

Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for TIME
triple j has addressed Taylor Swift’s absence from this year’s Hottest 100, clarifying that the pop star was not banned from the annual countdown.

In a statement provided to Daily Mail Australia, triple j said Swift’s exclusion from the 2022 Hottest 100, broadcast last Saturday (January 28), was due to the station’s eligibility criteria, not a rumoured ban of the singer’s music. “Taylor Swift’s music that was released last year received airplay on triple j but not enough for it to be included in our Hottest 100 shortlist for votes,” the spokesperson said.

“However, any song released in the eligibility period can be voted for regardless of whether it’s in the Hottest 100 shortlist, as it can be added manually.” The broadcaster went on to address its 2014 countdown, which saw Swift’s song ‘Shake It Off’ disqualified following an endorsement from KFC.

The fast food chain was among a number of brands – also including web outlet Buzzfeed – and music fans to participate in a social media #Tay4Hottest100 campaign. According to the station, the disqualification of ‘Shake It Off’ was in keeping with triple j’s policy of “remov[ing] artists from the list who have benefited from compeтιтions or commercial campaigns that incentivise fans to vote for them.”

Elaborating on the Hottest 100 of 2014 exclusion, ABC said: “​​There has never been a ban on Taylor Swift as an artist appearing in triple j’s Hottest 100, however we were forced to disqualify one of her tracks in the Hottest 100 of 2014 because voting guidelines were breached.”

Though Swift’s exclusion only pertained to one song in 2014, listeners this year referenced the ban on social media, pointing to the appearance of fellow US pop musicians like Doja Cat, Lizzo and Beyoncé on the 2022 countdown.

https://twitter.com/rukiyedx/status/1619257165533040640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1619257165533040640%7Ctwgr%5E3791bdd1790b0201f51ec6a2e42d482ba9493928%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nme.com%2Fen_au%2Fnews%2Fmusic%2Ftaylor-swift-was-never-banned-from-this-years-hottest-100-triple-j-clarifies-3389612

“Based on some of the absolutely mainstream songs that made this countdown I’m going to need Taylor Swift to be unbanned moving forward”, one user wrote on twitter. Another added: “apparently Taylor Swift isn’t allowed on the Hottest 100 but independent struggling artist Beyonce is?”

Wait so apparently Taylor Swift isn't allowed on the Hottest 100 but independent struggling artist Beyonce is?

Makes sense.

— Ben Quagliata (@bensquag) January 28, 2023

Flume and MAY-A topped triple j’s countdown over the weekend for their ‘Palaces’ track ‘Say Nothing’. Eliza Rose and Interplanetary Criminal‘s song ‘B.O.T.A (Baddest Of Them All)’ placed second, while Steve Lacy’s ‘Bad Habit’, Gang of Youths’ ‘in the wake of your leave’, Ball Park Music’s ‘Stars in My Eyes’ and Spacey Jane’s ‘Hardlight’ all placed within the top ten. See the full 2022 triple j Hottest 100 countdown here.