Taylor Swift struck again over the holidays, pulling the heartstrings of fans and America by and large with the release of a video documenting her most recent random act of kindness fans are lovingly referring to as "Swiftmas". Madonna, on the contrary, has taken a staunch self-aggrandizing approach to the promotion of her new album "Rebel Hearts" where she shared photos of Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Bob Marley in what she claims were "fan-altered" photos. The two superstars have starkly contrasting approaches to social media: Taylor Swift projecting generosity & sincerity, Madonna projecting controversy.
On January 2nd, Madonna shared the altered images on her Instagram account, as what seemed like a salute to herself. Her less than admirable pass off was a bit reminiscent of primary school blame games. She responded with an apology of sorts saying, "I'm sorry. I'm not comparing myself to anyone. I'm admiring and acknowledging their Rebel Hearts. Am I saying I am them, NO. I'm saying they are Rebel Hearts too. And I didn't do it, my fans did. And I just re-posted those photos."
Taylor Swift, taking a completely different approach to fan engagement, took to her home in New York to create a personalized Christmas "Swifties" would never forget. She secret Santa shopped for unsuspecting fans who would receive a Santa emoji on one of their social media channels to be followed by a FedEx or personal delivery from Taylor Swift herself. Their reactions were documented in Swift's video released five days ago on her YouTube channel.
Madonna indeed exemplifies a rebel heart – it's a trademark of sorts for her career. Unfortunately for her, her latest rebel yell wasn't so well received – especially not when her fans became the scapegoat. While Madonna portrays herself as a leader to her followers, Taylor Swift, continues her open armed policy, aligning herself with her fans, suggesting she's one of them. Swift has remained a class act throughout the promotion of her hit album 1989 – further prove that grace and humility never go out of style.
