Pop star Taylor Swift is topping the charts with the release of her latest album The Life of a Showgirl, but one corner of the internet is concerned about a piece of merch released in support of the project.

The merch in question is a silver necklace adorned with lightning bolt charms, and some people believe that it's a hidden Nazi dog whistle.

So, where does this conspiracy theory come from, and is there any truth to it? Here's what we know.

@be3f22ab

Taylor Swift Releases a New Necklace on Her Merch Website

♬ original sound – be3f22ab

What Is The 'Taylor Swift Necklace' Controversy?

The controversy started over on Threads when a user posted an image of two pieces of merch on Taylor Swift's website, a hat and a silver necklace adorned with lightning bolt charms. In the post, the user shares the opinion that the hat is akin to a MAGA hat and that the necklace is a Nazi dog whistle.

Specifically, the user believes that the necklace is a dog whistle because of the lightning bolts, which they compare to the "SS" symbol, also known as the Schutzstaffel or SS runes, which were pseudo-runes used by the infamous paramilitary organization in Nazi Germany.

The theory about the necklace spread over the following days on Threads, X / Twitter and TikTok as people continued to pick apart the necklace in an attempt to confirm or deny whether it was a dog whistle.

Since then, the theory has evolved to tie the necklace into the 1488 dog whistle, also known as "14 Words," thanks to the number of lightning bolts and links shown in the necklace's promotional image.

How Is Social Media Reacting To The 'Taylor Swift Necklace' Controversy?

The conspiracy theory has gained a lot of support online, with some TikTok videos of users supporting it gaining millions of views in just a few days.

These people believe that either Swift or someone on her team hid the dog whistle in the necklace, potentially without Swift's direct knowledge. Some also claim that it's not a far-fetched idea, since Swift is known to hide references and "easter eggs" in her music.

On the other hand, the theory has also gained a lot of detractors, who believe that those spreading the theory are grasping at straws.

They say that lightning bolts as a symbol are not exclusively used in reference to Nazis and that the number of bolts and chains is just a coincidence.

Overall, it has not been confirmed or denied that the necklace is a dog whistle, as neither Swift nor her team has responded to the theory.

What Are Some More Reactions To The Silver Necklace Conspiracy Theory?

@jia_yaps afraid to touch grass cuz there’s notsees outside #womenoftiktok #asian #taylorswift ♬ original sound – dr. jia

@moonnugget333 #stitch with @56a3d168 ♬ original sound – MoonNugget333

@skelly.png

N I dont even like taylor I think her music is butt

♬ original sound – Ana

@perdurabo

♬ original sound – JAXX

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For the full history of the Taylor Swift Necklace Controversy, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.