I’m Laughing Along’: Taylor Swift Fan From Viral Exile Video Thinks It’s Funny Too

Madison Blackband’s TikTok of her emotional reaction to hearing “Exile” as Swift’s surprise song in Sydney went viral overnight

When Brisbane local Madison Blackband got ready for bed on Sunday night, she was buzzing from the day’s events, which involved sitting outside of Sydney’s Accor Stadium with two close friends listening to Taylor Swift perform her third night of sold-out shows in Australia. Right before going to sleep, Blackband posted a TikTok of her reaction to hearing “Exile,” a track from Folklore that Swift chose as a surprise song. When she woke up, her phone was flooded with messages.

“I went on [Twitter] and the first thing that popped up was this video,” Blackband tells Rolling Stone. “And I was like, ‘Oh, it’s happened.’”

The video in question, a two-minute clip that shows Blackband crying out and sobbing when she realizes Swift is playing ‘Exile,’ was meant for her small group of friends and followers on TikTok. “I posted it intending it for like 200 people, not millions,” Blackband says.

This isn’t the first time a Swiftie has filmed their reactions to hearing the surprise songs — it’s become a popular trend since the pop star began her record breaking Eras Tour in 2023. But in the three days since it was filmed, the clip has taken on a life of its own. In addition to receiving over 10 million views on both TikTok and X (formerly known as Twitter) and inspiring memes and reaction videos, the clip also made Blackband the target of a wild round of accusations and divisive opinions. People said she was being overdramatic, performing for the camera, and should be embarrassed or ashamed for such a public reaction. And even those supposedly on her side attacked her friends in the clip, calling them “snakes” and saying they weren’t supportive enough. For Blackband, a Brisbane-based model who loves attending concerts with her friends, it’s been jarring to have a beautiful personal moment bring out so much negativity from people she doesn’t know. But she does admit — some of the memes are pretty funny.

There’s no point letting it upset me. I reacted the way I reacted,” she says. “I know my friends weren’t judging me. That’s just me. I’m just a passionate person. The opinion of people thinking that it’s embarrassing and stuff doesn’t mean anything to me because I never thought it was and I’m not going to think it is now just because someone says I should. I understand why people are laughing at it. I laughed at the video myself once I first watched it back.”