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Arts & EntertainmentTaylor Swift

Taylor Swift has a Tiananmen Square problem

By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
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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 Guardianreports.

“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
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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.

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