Social media is inundated with the assertion that “no one should be a billionaire” and it has become a prominent moral standing among a vocal group of people on the interweb. The phrase raises legitimate concerns about wealth inequality, labour exploitation and concentration of power.

However, as with many slogans that gain cultural traction, its broadness and vagueness risks collapsing distinct forms of wealth accumulation into a single ethical category and in doing so, it often obstructs the very mechanisms of power that it seeks to critique.

The hullabaloo surrounding Taylor Swift’s emergence as a billionaire reveals a lot about this herd mentality which is rampant online and it is often accompanied by no amount of critical thinking. Taylor’s wealth has provoked a cultural anxiety that appears disproportionate compared to public reactions toward ultra-wealthy individuals.

The public outrage is not merely economic in nature. It is cultural and gendered. Taylor is not an oil magnate, a private equity executive or a tech monopolist. She is a highly visible cultural producer whose labour, persona and emotional expressiveness in forms of singing, songwriting and art are central to her public identity. The discomfort surrounding her wealth cannot solely be seen as opposition to inequality. Rather, in my opinion, it reflects unresolved tensions about women’s access to power, ownership and legitimacy within capitalist systems.

My demand is for analytical precision and critical thinking to prevail in this age of herd mentality and stupid but divisive “hot-takes” that sweep through social media.

Accumulation of wealth is not a morally uniform phenomenon and the process by which wealth is generated and the degree of labour involved, the transparency of accumulation and the uses of the accumulated wealth and power matters. Taylor’s case complicates dominant narratives about billionaires.

The Anti-Billionaire Rhetoric:

Extreme wealth at any point of time in the past, present or future is off-putting. The claim that extreme wealth is inherently immoral rests on the assumption that no individual can accumulate wealth to such an extreme degree without exploiting others. It should be noted that this assumption is often justified in cases involving resource extraction, financial speculation or monopolistic practices but the logic becomes less persuasive when applied indiscriminately.

Political economists often distinguish between different modes of capital accumulation. Wealth derived through rent seeking behaviour such as controlling access to housing, healthcare or natural resources operates very differently from wealth generated through direct labour and intellectual production. If we ignore this distinction, then there is no distinction between a George Lucas and a Elon Musk or a Mark Zuckerberg. If we ignore these distinctions, we are transforming the argument from structural analysis to a symbolic condemnation.

Taylor Swift’s wealth is overwhelmingly linked to monetization of intellectual property she helped create. Her dominant income streams include album sales, touring, licencing and publishing her art which is directly tied to cultural consumption rather than essential goods or coercive market control. Obviously, this does not render her wealth morally pure but it does situate it differently from other forms of wealth accumulation that rely on scarcity, dispossession or systemic harm.

Opposition to inequality requires specificity and critical analysis. Otherwise, without specificity, moral outrage becomes performative rather than transformative in the long run.

Taylor Swift’s Cultural Production:

One of the defining features of Taylor’s career is the visibility of her own labour. Unlike many wealthy individuals whose work is abstracted behind corporate structures, Taylor’s labour is public and ongoing. It is not an accident that she has achieved this level of success. She writes her music, performs extensively (is a fan of over-delivering) and maintains creative involvement across all her work. Nobody else was baking cookies for their fans and having secret hang-out sessions and opening up their hearts the way Taylor has continued to do.

The Eras Tour exemplifies this labour-intensive model. The tour was not merely a revenue generating enterprise but a physically demanding performance that requires endurance, rehearsal and emotional presence. The tours impact includes employing thousands of workers and contributing significantly to local economies which complicates the narratives that frame her wealth as purely extractive. Additionally, her model of – "if the tour does well, everyone involved gets paid more" should set a precedence in the entertainment industry!

Cultural labour is often undervalued precisely because it is associated with pleasure and emotion. The assumption that creative work is less than industrial or technical labour has historically been used to justify its under-compensation. Taylor’s success threatens the entertainment industry as it challenges this hierarchy by demonstrating that cultural production can generate enormous value when creators retain control over their work.

To dismiss her wealth without acknowledging the labour, creativity and hard work behind it reinforces the very devaluation of artistic work that critics of capitalism often seek to dismantle.

Ownership as Resistance:

The most significant factor distinguishing Taylor from other ultra-wealthy figures is her approach to ownership. The sale of her masters without her consent exposed a structural vulnerability faced by artists within the music industry. Taylor Swift engaged in a strategic market-based intervention and re-recorded her catalogue.

Economically, it devalued her original masters while legally operating within existing contractual structures and culturally, it reframed ownership as a site of resistance rather than resignation of your fate. Taylor’s public declaration and acts of reclamation established a precedent that will forever influence industry norms.

This is a prime example of how Taylor did not reject the market; instead, she used it to correct an imbalance of power. She demonstrated her agency within capitalist systems and expanded it through knowledge, leverage and collective support. Her resulting wealth is not merely the outcome of market success but the by-product of an intervention that challenged exploitative norms.

Gender, Ambition, and Moral Scrutiny:

The outrage and reactions to Taylor Swift’s billionaire status cannot be disentangled from gendered expectations surrounding ambition. It is a truth universally acknowledged that women who pursue power are more likely to be perceived as unlikable, manipulative or morally suspect which is not the case for men with identical behaviours.

Taylor’s career trajectory has been marked by strategic decision making, brand management and her continued vulnerability and ability to express herself and her emotions in a way that marks her as a brilliant storyteller. Her career trajectory has increasingly positioned her within a traditionally masculine domain of authority.

The discomfort provoked by her wealth has disrupted the cultural framework through which she was initially understood which is as a confessional songwriter whose value lay in emotional transparency rather than strategic competence.

Emotional expressiveness is tolerated and even celebrated in women, so long as it is not accompanied by structural power and Taylor’s refusal to be boxed within these distinctions and her refusal to choose between vulnerability and ambition challenges this age-old stereotype and binary.

Criticism framed as economic concern often masks deeper anxieties about women who refuse to self-limit. The demand that she justifies, apologises for or redistributes her success reflects expectations that women temper achievement with humility. Where are these demands for George Lucas, Steven Spielberg or James Cameron?

The Demand for Relatability:

Taylor Swift’s wealth destabilizes the concept of relatability which is a quality disproportionately demanded of women in the public eye. Her music has fostered a sense of intimacy with her listeners who interpret it as personal connection. When that perceived intimacy coexists with immense wealth, it produces cognitive dissonance.

However, relatability is not a moral obligation and it is a market construct that benefits audiences more than the artists. We will be conflating art with personal availability if we insist that Swift remain economically accessible in order to preserve emotional authenticity. Additionally, this expectation reflects a broader pattern in which women are asked to trade power for connection.

Taylor’s refusal to do so exposes the transactional assumptions embedded in audience attachment. It is evident that the audience forever wants a palatable version of you.

Philanthropy and Responsibility:

Supporting Taylor’s billionaire status does not automatically mean that I idealize her use of wealth. While she has made significant philanthropic contributions, no individual’s charity can offset systematic inequality and to demand that she solve structural problems through personal generosity misunderstands both the scale of the problems and the role of the State.

At the same time, Taylor Swift’s labour practices, including reported bonuses for touring staff and advocacy for artists’ rights suggest an orientation toward responsibility rather than indifference. These actions do not absolve her from scrutiny but they do distinguish her from figures whose wealth accumulation is accompanied by deliberate opacity or harm.

Conclusion:

Taylor Swift’s billionaire status is not a referendum on capitalism’s moral legitimacy; instead, it is a test of our ability to think critically about power without resorting to symbolic scapegoating. 

Taylor did not inherit her billionaire status nor did she accumulate it through monopolistic control of necessities; she did not detach herself from the labour that generated it. She was successful in navigating an exploitative industry, reclaimed ownership over her art and leveraged cultural production into sustained economic power.

If the goal of anti-capitalist critique is to dismantle unjust systems, then precision is essential. Blanket condemnation may feel satisfying and will get you clicks and likes but it obscures meaningful distinctions and reinforces gendered double standards.

Taylor Swift’s success is unsettling precisely because it resists easy categorization. It exists at the intersection of labour and capital, vulnerability and authority, intimacy and distance. Engaging with that complexity does not weaken moral critique; it strengthens it.

Supporting her billionaire status is not an endorsement of inequality. It is my refusal to flatten nuance in the name of ideological comfort and a recognition that who holds power and how they came to hold it still and will forever matter!

Happy Birthday to Min Yoongi, better known as Suga of BTS and Agust D.

This track, which serves as a pivotal moment in the Map of the Soul narrative, is heavily influenced by Carl Jung’s concept of the ‘shadow’—the repressed and often darker side of the self. Through its introspective lyrics, haunting production, and visually striking music video, Interlude: Shadow paints a visceral picture of the inner conflicts that come with fame. It also serves as an intersection between his two personas, blending the introspective vulnerability of Suga with the raw confrontation of Agust D.

The Shadow: A Concept by Carl Jung

Before delving into the song, let’s understand what Jung meant by the ‘shadow.’ Jung, a Swiss psychologist, described the shadow as the unconscious part of our psyche—comprising traits, fears, and desires we reject or suppress. Often, our shadow contains aspects of ourselves we may not want to confront, yet it inevitably influences our emotions and actions.

Jung’s concept of the shadow is part of a larger framework known as the Map of the Soul, which outlines the structure of the human psyche. This framework includes:

- Persona: The mask we wear to present ourselves to the world, shaped by societal expectations.
- Ego: The conscious mind, the ‘I’ we identify with.
- Shadow: The unconscious self, where repressed desires and fears reside.
- Anima/Animus: The inner feminine side of a man (anima) and the inner masculine side of a woman (animus), representing deeper emotional truths.
- Self: The ultimate goal of personal growth, where all aspects of the psyche—both conscious and unconscious—are integrated into a balanced whole.

For an artist like Suga, who has climbed to unimaginable heights, the shadow manifests as fears of losing himself in success, of reaching the top only to feel more isolated than before. Interlude: Shadow is an open dialogue with this unseen self, questioning the cost of his ambitions and the parts of himself he may have suppressed in his rise to fame.

The Lyrics

The song’s opening lines are deceptively simple: “I wanna be a rap star, I wanna be the top”. These words echo the unfiltered ambition of a young dreamer. But as the track unfolds, the tone shifts: “Don’t let me fly, now I’m scared. Don’t let me shine.”—a plea that reveals the anxiety accompanying his rise. The shadow speaks, acknowledging that with great success comes the fear of falling.

One of the most haunting lines in the song—“But my growing shadow swallows me and becomes a monster”—depicts how unchecked ambition and fame can consume a person. This mirrors Jung’s idea that the shadow, when left unacknowledged, can overtake the self and become overwhelming.

As the song progresses, Yoongi acknowledges the inevitable clash between his desires and fears: “The moment I faced myself brought the lowest / It so happens that I'm flying the highest.” This paradox reflects the tension between his public success and private struggles. Facing one’s shadow can be painful, yet it is necessary for growth.

The lyrics also address an internal debate, with the shadow challenging him: “All the things you wanted, you've got it all / So what's the problem? Just enjoy it / Or just let it go, no? Then run, or stop / Don't whine, just choose one or the other.” These words sound almost mocking, as if his own mind is questioning why he cannot simply be satisfied with his achievements.

Toward the end, the confrontation reaches its climax: “We are one body, sometimes we will clash / You can never break me off, this you must know.” This is the moment of reckoning—Yoongi acknowledges that he cannot escape his shadow. It is a part of him, inseparable from his identity. The final acceptance, “Yeah, yeah, can't break me off, whatever you do / Yeah, you'll be at ease if you admit it too”, suggests that true peace comes from embracing one’s shadow rather than fighting it.

This duality of yearning and dread is a recurring theme in Agust D’s discography. In The Last, he lays bare his struggles with mental health and fame, while Amygdala unearths painful memories. Here, in Interlude: Shadow, he personifies the push and pull between his public persona and inner fears.

Check out the full lyrics here.

The Music

The production of Interlude: Shadow mirrors the song’s lyrical battle. It begins with a slow, almost hypnotic melody, reminiscent of a confession. As the track progresses, the beat intensifies, growing chaotic, echoing the sense of spiraling out of control.

Unlike traditional hip-hop tracks, Interlude: Shadow weaves elements of rock and electronic distortions, adding an unsettling, almost suffocating atmosphere. This distortion reflects the turmoil of an artist losing grip on his sense of self.

This sonic chaos is part of a larger thematic trilogy within Map of the Soul: 7, where Persona (by RM) explores the external self, Shadow (by Suga) delves into inner fears, and Ego (by J-Hope) embraces self-acceptance. RM’s Persona is bright and bold, reflecting the masks we wear to interact with the world. J-Hope’s Ego, on the other hand, is celebratory and upbeat, symbolizing acceptance of all aspects of oneself. Shadow sits between them—a confrontation with the parts of ourselves we’d rather ignore, serving as the bridge between wearing a mask and fully embracing one’s true identity.

The contrast in sound across these three tracks highlights their thematic connection. While Persona is energetic and declarative, and Ego is vibrant and optimistic, Shadow is brooding and tumultuous. Together, they create a complete arc—one that reflects Jung’s psychological framework, guiding the listener through the journey of self-discovery.

The Music Video

Embracing the Shadow

Interlude: Shadow is more than just a song—it is a deeply introspective piece that lays bare the cost of ambition. Through its haunting lyrics, turbulent sound, and symbolic visuals, Suga brings Jung’s concept of the shadow to life, exposing the battle between the self we project and the fears we suppress. The song doesn’t offer easy answers because there are none. Instead, it presents the raw truth: the shadow is an inseparable part of who we are.

For Min Yoongi, this struggle is ongoing. As an artist who has climbed to staggering heights, he must constantly negotiate with his shadow, questioning whether success is worth the sacrifices it demands. Yet, through this confrontation, there is a glimmer of resolution. By acknowledging the shadow rather than resisting it, he takes a step toward self-acceptance. The final takeaway isn’t about conquering fears but understanding that they coexist with ambition—that light and darkness are two halves of the same whole.

Perhaps that is the greatest lesson Interlude: Shadow offers: we do not need to defeat our shadow. We only need to recognize it, listen to it, and learn from it.

For context - I am new to the k-pop world. I loved ‘Standing Next to You’ & ‘Too sad to Dance’ by Jungkook and he got me curious enough to look into K-Pop. The logical next steps would be to go to BTS songs, but IG Reels took me to Run BTS clips and somehow, I landed up listening to ‘D-day’ Album by August D (Suga’s alter ego for his solo stuff). ‘Life Goes on’ and ‘Amygdala’ had their hooks into me. After listening to his solo album and the mixtapes, I went into SUGA’s solo songs as part of BTS albums. Once I heard ‘Trivia : Seesaw’, I have been stuck. FOR.TWO. MONTHS. NOW.

Seesaw 1 - Lyrics

Though the lyrics sit perfectly about a romantic relationship, I personally feel that the song could also be about life. Most of us live with an illusion that we are in control of our life. But life likes to remind us every now and then that the feeling of being in control is just an illusion. So, I see a parallel there - between the constant struggle of people to get things under control and the pushbacks from life from time to time. Only, I think there is no getting off that see-saw until the final moment.

Seesaw 2 - Melody & Lyrics

The melody & the lyrics are at complete contrast with each other. For once, I think my language handicap came in handy because when I heard the song for the first time, I thought it must be a sweet song about the beauty of either life or relationships. Then I looked up the lyrics here and couldn’t believe how wrong I was. While the melody has a feel-good vibe, the lyrics bring out the darker side of relationships. Ironically, the part where I feel that the melody is the sweetest is where the lyrics are about how conniving people can be.

Seesaw 3 - Rap & Vocal

SUGA likes to pretend he can only rap & not sing. Yeah well, this is one of the many songs that say otherwise. The constant back and forth between his rap and vocals should have been more jarring, yet there’s a smooth balance there. His low tone is perfect for the vocal sections. Adora provides a soft touch with her backup vocals too.

Seesaw 4 - Tempo

The song constantly shifts between slow and fast(er)-paced, rhythmic portions. These tempo changes convey the emotional rollercoaster to reflect the emotions of the lyrics. During the verses, where the lyrics focuses on the complexities of a relationship, the tempo is slow giving it an introspective feel. In contrast, the tempo picks up during the emotionally charged sections - specifically the rap & chorus sections.

Seesaw 5 - Dynamics

The dynamics of the song compliments the tempo very well. The softer tones help create a sense of vulnerability and introspection. On the other hand, the chorus and rap sections often feature increased dynamics, creating a sense of urgency and intensity.


The metaphors in the lyrics, SUGA’s vocals and the tempo changes certainly stand out as the highlights of this song.

#QOTD - Have you heard this song before? If you have, what's the one thing that stood out for you? If you haven't, are you going to listen to it now?