Taylor Swift's Record Label Says There's No Connection Between Her Release Date And The Death Of Kanye West's Mom

People were quick to point out the release of Reputation falls on the anniversary of the death of Kanye West's mother, Donda West, but a publicist at Swift's record label told BuzzFeed News "there is no correlation."

By
Alanna Bennett
by Alanna Bennett

BuzzFeed News Reporter

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This week, Taylor Swift announced her sixth studio album, Reputation, and released the first single, "Look What You Made Me Do."

Big Machine Records

The album comes out Nov. 10 — a date that gave some people pause because it also happens to be the 10th anniversary of the day Kanye West's mother, Donda West, died.

darcie @333333333433333

ok i was done complaining about taylor swift i felt gross n w/e and then i saw this n absolutely fuck taylor swift

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Corbin Reiff @CorbinReiff

Taylor's album drops on the 10th anniversary of Kanye's mom's death. This shit is cancelled. https://t.co/QcTKfI1t9s

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@CorbinReiff / Twitter / Via Twitter: @CorbinReiff
Josh Behm @JoshBehm

Taylor Swift is really dropping her album on the ten year anniversary of Donda West's death I never thought someon… https://t.co/V3hjnSr7rx

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@JoshBehm / Twitter / Via Twitter: @JoshBehm
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People made the connection because there's been bad blood between West and Swift since 2009, when West rushed the VMAs stage as Swift was accepting the award for Best Female Video.

Larry Busacca / Getty Images

During that moment, West declared that Beyoncé was the rightful winner of the award for her "Single Ladies" video.

West and Swift publicly made up at 2015 Grammys — but at the 2016 Grammys, Swift used her Album of the Year acceptance speech to express umbrage with lyrics from West's song, "Famous."

Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

“I want to say to all the young women out there," she said, "there are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame."

Later that year, West's wife, Kim Kardashian West, posted video on her Snapchat that appeared to show Swift approving of at least some of the lyrics in "Famous." In a statement following the release of these videos, Swift said she had never heard the song in full and did not approve of the lyric that refers to her as "that bitch."

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But, according to a publicist at Swift's record label, Big Machine, "there is no correlation" between the anniversary of Donda West's death and Reputation's release date.

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"It is standard practice that releases come out on Fridays and we locked in this release date based on other Universal Music Group releases," the publicist said.

Larry Busacca / Getty Images

A publicist for Kanye West did not immediately reply to BuzzFeed News' request for a comment.

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