UPDATE: Triple J’s Hottest 100 is underway, and Taylor Swift has officially been disqualified. Keep up to date with live updates and milestones here.
There’s been much to-ing and fro-ing about the eligibility of Taylor Swift‘s 2014 hit Shake It Off in triple j’s Hottest 100 countdown, and now according to former triple j presenter Angela Catterns, the track might have been disqualified altogether thanks to the actions of an undisclosed fast food chain.
As reported by Faster Louder, Catterns made the assertion on ABC program The Drum on Monday morning. “You probably know that there was a push to get a Taylor Swift song in [the Hottest 100], which has now been disqualified because a fast food chain became involved in the whole process” she says.
While Catterns doesn’t elaborate further on the name of the fast food chain or the nature of their involvement, KFC have thrown their support behind the #tayforhottest100 social media campaign, and have shared a promotion whereby customers can share their favourite Swift song, for a chance to win a voucher for $19.89. Swift’s 2014 album is titled 1989, you see.
According to triple j’s voting rules, the national broadcaster “reserves the right to remove artists from the list who have benefited from competitions or commercial campaigns that incentivise fans to vote for them.”
Triple j have yet to comment on the campaign to get Shake It Off into the Hottest 100 and its eligibility for the annual countdown remains unclear. Twitter account Social Hottest 100 has predicted the track, if eligible, will land at #76 on the Australia Day Hottest 100 countdown.
UPDATE 21/01/15: triple j staff have reportedly been banned from speaking to anyone about the campaign.
UPDATE 21/01/15: Former triple j presenter Angela Catterns says she “may have spoken too soon” about Swift’s disqualification from the Hottest 100.
UPDATE 26/01/15: Triple J’s Hottest 100 is underway, and Taylor Swift has officially been disqualified. Keep up to date with live updates and milestones here.
