Influencer Sells Curated Taylor Swift Lyrics Guide; Fans Accuse Her of Profiteering
Taylor Swift's popularity has skyrocketed far beyond a level any of her contemporaries and musicians in the past couple of decades can hope to achieve. This has also opened doors for people to cash in on her fame by selling merchandise or even offering fake concert tickets to scam desperate fans. In one such contentious move, content creator Nicole Liel has curated a guide for Taylor Swift lyrics and fan chants. Liel, 26, promoted the guides on her TikTok and Instagram accounts, sparking a heated debate within the pop singer's fan community and among fellow content creators.
Liel's guides, available as online PDFs for S$12 and hardcopy booklets for S$15 on her website named Likely Liel, drew immediate backlash. Some accused her of profiteering and questioned the ethicality of selling readily available information online. Critics argue that the guides, containing lyrics and fan chants, have been traditionally shared among Swifties for free.
One TikTok user @dogtorchris expressed disappointment, emphasizing the long-standing values of the Swiftie community, centered around kindness and collaboration. He criticized Liel's actions as unethical and raised concerns about potential copyright infringement, suggesting that Taylor Swift's management team could issue a cease and desist letter. The Copyright Act in Singapore criminalizes the distribution of copyrighted works without licensing, adding a legal dimension to the debate. @dogtorchris directed viewers to another TikTok user, @jessasterous who had created a free lyrics guide, indirectly contrasting it with Liel's commercial venture.
Liel's attempt to monetize her guides faced scrutiny despite her assertion that the glossy printed book was costly to produce. She claimed to spent over $4,000 on printing, highlighting the unexpected popularity of her creation. Liel defended the sale of the PDF version, portraying it as a deterrent against reproduction and a means to protect her creative rights. User @fefe expressed a desire for the guides to be available in PDF format, highlighting a potential demand for accessible versions of the content.
In response, content creator Nicole Liel informed users that the PDF version was available through the link in her bio. User @KakMeng echoed the sentiment of @fefe, expressing the collective desire for the guides to be available in PDF format, suggesting a common preference among TikTok users for easily shareable digital content.
Responding to the controversy, Liel explained that the idea to sell the guides arose from positive feedback on Instagram, where many expressed interest. She emphasized the effort invested in creating a curated guide for Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour, incorporating the concert set list, lyrics, and fan chants. Liel even included practical information about the National Stadium, such as bathroom locations. Despite facing criticism, Liel justified her endeavor, hoping fans would appreciate the time and effort put into the guide. She argued that similar tour merchandise based on Swift's work and lyrics exists, making her venture no different.
Critics hit back saying that selling such information was unfair, with one user stating, "Making profits off fans is definitely not it." Another deemed it "very unethical" from a designer's perspective, emphasizing the accessibility of the content online. In contrast, some defended Liel's initiative, acknowledging the value of time and resources invested in designing and printing the guides. Supporters argued that if Swifties were willing to pay for the curated content, it was a fair business practice.
For more such content, you can follow Nicole Liel (@lielnicole).