Meghan McCain weighs in on Taylor Swift's rumoured chart manipulation

Meghan McCain shared her thoughts on the recent pop culture gossip, including rumours that Taylor Swift may be manipulating her chart success to block other artists from reaching number one.

On her podcast Citizen McCain, McCain expressed her concerns that Swift's alleged actions might have karmic consequences.

The Bad Blood crooner released three new versions of her album, The Tortured Poets Department, in the UK, which boosted sales and secured a sixth week at number one on the UK albums chart.

This strategic move kept Charli XCX's new album, Brat, from reaching the top spot, debuting at number two instead.

Similarly, Swift was accused of employing the same tactic in the US last month to maintain her album's position at number one on the Billboard 200, edging out Billie Eilish's Hit Me Hard and Soft.

“You are Taylor Swift, you are Elvis-level, one of the greatest of all time,” McCain said on her podcast. 

“There are people coming up who could have their first No. 1 and you have the power to let them have No. 1 or not. … I just don’t know how classy it is.”

McCain continued to ponder, “I also think that, karmically, you’re messing with some stuff. I get that The Tortured Poets Department is doing this well … but I do think maybe more focus on music and art instead of, like, checks on a scoreboard.”

McCain, who claims to be a casual fan of Taylor Swift but not a dedicated "Swiftie", wondered aloud if the public is growing weary of Swift's omnipresence, citing her ongoing Eras Tour and highly publicised romance with NFL player Travis Kelce as potential factors contributing to a possible backlash.

“She has, respectfully, nowhere else to go but down at this point,” said McCain. “She has TIME magazine’s person of the year, this tour’s so big … I do think when she’s done touring, giving us a mild break from being in the news cycle as much as she is would be helpful for her, and us as commentators.”