• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Arts & EntertainmentTaylor Swift

Taylor Swift has a Tiananmen Square problem

By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 22, 2015, 12:22 PM ET
Caption:CHICAGO, IL - JULY 18: Taylor Swift performs during The 1989 Tour at Soldier Field on July 18, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/LP5/Getty Images for TAS)
Caption:CHICAGO, IL - JULY 18: Taylor Swift performs during The 1989 Tour at Soldier Field on July 18, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/LP5/Getty Images for TAS) Photograph by Daniel Boczarski — LP5/Getty Images for TAS

Taylor Swift will soon be embarking on a tour of China to promote her new album 1989, but she may be inadvertently stirring up controversy with the visit.

The reason? 1989, which is Swift’s year of birth, also happens to be the year when the Tiananmen Square massacre took place, which saw hundreds of students killed in a pro-Democracy rally.

To make matters worse, Swift’s initials, T.S., also stand for the now iconic city center in Beijing, China.

Swift is also launching a clothing line next month to coincide with the album tour, which will be branded with the year. Some items could also be branded with her initials, The Guardian reports.

“Ni hao, it’s Taylor Swift. Be sure to check out my new authentic merchy [merchandise], now available in China,” says Swift in a promotional video uploaded to Weibo, the paper reports. In the video, models are featured wearing clothing emblazoned with “1989.”

About the Author
By Benjamin SnyderManaging Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Benjamin Snyder is Fortune's managing editor, leading operations for the newsroom.

Prior to rejoining Fortune, he was a managing editor at Business Insider and has worked as an editor for Bloomberg, LinkedIn and CNBC, covering leadership stories, sports business, careers and business news. He started his career as a breaking news reporter at Fortune in 2014.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Lawbritney spears
Oops, I did it again: Britney Spears arrested for the second time
By The Associated PressMarch 5, 2026
7 hours ago
kids on phones
Arts & EntertainmentSocial Media
Meet the social media CEO who won’t let his own kids on social media: ‘Parents are oblivious to the world’
By Jake AngeloMarch 4, 2026
1 day ago
altman
AIdocumentaries
Sam Altman turned down a documentary’s requests to talk. So the director cast a ‘Sam Bot’ as its protagonist
By Michael Liedtke and The Associated PressMarch 4, 2026
2 days ago
ticketmaster
LawAntitrust
DOJ rips into Ticketmaster monopoly in court: ‘today, the concert ticket industry is broken’
By Larry Neumeister and The Associated PressMarch 3, 2026
2 days ago
triceratops
InvestingAuction
Billionaires’ latest luxury asset class is dinosaur bones, boosted by Pharrell’s new auction platform
By R.J. Rico and The Associated PressMarch 3, 2026
3 days ago
wolfgang
CommentaryLeadership
Europe doesn’t lack tech talent. Its leaders lack execution
By Wolfgang OelsMarch 3, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Health
Palantir and other tech companies are stocking offices with nicotine products to increase worker productivity
By Catherina GioinoMarch 4, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Uber CEO says his ‘really demanding’ work culture includes expecting employees to answer his emails over the weekend: ‘Don’t come here if you want to coast’
By Emma BurleighMarch 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Newsletters
The Iran war is giving rise to a centuries-old economic theory—and laying waste to the WTO-based world order
By Diane BradyMarch 5, 2026
17 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump's loss of $1.7 trillion in tariff revenue will send the national debt to $58 trillion by 2036, think tank projects
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 5, 2026
11 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Tech investor Bill Gurley says workers who went through the ‘college conveyor belt’ and chased safe jobs are at high risk of AI automation
By Emma BurleighMarch 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
Meet a burned out 28-year-old who pays $168 a month in China's faux Venice to retire early from her Shanghai finance gig
By Albee Zhang and The Associated PressMarch 2, 2026
4 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.