Taylor Swift fans, affectionately known as Swifties, believe they have identified the "bronze spray-tanned statue" referenced in the pop star's latest song, "thanK you aIMee," which many believe is a diss track aimed at reality TV star Kim Kardashian. The song's opening lyrics describe a hometown bully who haunts the singer, with a "plaque underneath it / That threatens to push me down the stairs at our school."
One astute fan took to X (formerly Twitter) to suggest that the statue in question could be the "Athena Parthenos" located in Centennial Park near downtown Nashville. The gold statue of the Greek goddess features a massive snake, which holds particular significance in the context of the Swift-Kardashian feud.
In 2016, when the feud between the two celebrities reached its peak, Kardashian trolled Swift with a snake reference on social media. "Wait it's legit National Snake Day?!?!? They have holidays for everybody, I mean everything these days!" Kardashian tweeted after releasing a phone call that seemingly showed Swift giving Kanye West, Kardashian's then-husband, permission to sing about her in his song "Famous."
Following Kardashian's tweet, her fans bombarded Swift with snake emojis, prompting the singer to later reclaim the imagery during her "Reputation" stadium tour. In a 2019 interview with Elle, Swift explained, "I can't tell you how hard I had to keep from laughing every time my 63-foot inflatable cobra named Karyn appeared onstage in front of 60,000 screaming fans."
At the time, Swifties posted pictures of the Nashville statue on X, speculating whether it had inspired the massive snake Swift used on stage during her performances.
While many fans praised the "smart" social media user who brought the statue to their attention in connection with the lyrics of "thanK you aIMee," others pointed out that Swift's hometown is actually in Pennsylvania, although she did move to Nashville in her teens and currently has a home there.
Kardashian has yet to directly respond to Swift's shady song, but a source told People that the reality star wants to "move on" and "doesn't get why [Swift] keeps harping on it" after all these years. In her first interview since the song's release on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Monday, Kardashian appeared unbothered, assuring listeners that "life is good."
The following day, Kardashian seemingly shaded Swift by posing for a picture with the singer's former friend, model Karlie Kloss.
