It’s not an understatement to say Taylor Swift’s political voice – or lack of – has been placed under scrutiny for the last couple of years.

She’s historically been accused of staying quiet when it comes to political issues: she was placed under intense scrutiny for not endorsing a candidate in the 2016 presidential election, and has been called out by celebrities including Demi Lovato and Pretty Little Liars star Troian Bellisario for her “false feminism”.

But it’s clear Swift is ready to make a change. At the end of 2018, Swift publicly appealed to her fans to vote in the midterm elections, and used the music video for her single You Need to Calm Down to make a public appeal for LGBTQ+ rights and to ask fans to sign her petition for the Equality Act.

And now, in an interview for The Guardian, Swift has explained - but not tried to excuse – her previous silence on political issues, and outlined her plans for the future.

Taylor Swift is no longer prepared to stay quiet when it comes to politics