Is Taylor Swift Dead? RIP Mural Mourns The Death Of The New York Spirit

Is Taylor Swift dead? This question is being asked after a viral photo showed a mural of the famous singer alongside the message saying, “RIP Taylor Swift.” But it turns out they were mourning the “broken New York spirit,” not Taylor Swift’s death.

In a related report by the Inquisitr, asking, “Is Taylor Swift dead?” could also be used as a reference to her music career. If so, it would be very bad timing as her new platinum “1989” has been the most successful record debut since 2002.

The reason that we are talking about Taylor Swift’s death at all is because she recently became the official New York Global Welcome Ambassador for Tourism. Not everyone was exactly thrilled by the idea and a boutique on Manhattan’s Lower East Side called La Petite Mort asked graffiti artist Antonio “Chico” Garcia to paint a mural depicting Swift along with a “rest in peace” message. Since Chico is also known for creating murals of actual dead people like Princess Diana, this viral photo has people asking, “Is Taylor Swift dead?”

The reason that they commissioned this art was a comment on how NYC is changing.

“We here at LPM have nothing but love for Taylor Swift,” boutique owners Kara Mullins and Osvaldo Jimenez explained in an Instagram post. “Rather, our comment is on the whitewashing and gentrification of New York. While we realize and appreciate that New York is ever changing, when a starving artist once representative of the New York spirit is replaced by the modern 19 million dollar condo owner who drinks lattes we have to shake our heads. While Taylor Swift is alive and well, and we wish her no harm, she did kill off yet another piece of that broken New York spirit,” the post continued. “The idea of her being our spokesperson is DEAD and we expressed that through a true NY artist. RIP TAYLOR SWIFT.”

So when they’re talking about Taylor Swift’s death what they really mean is “RIP New York City.” According to Yahoo Style, the co-owners of the shop had a big argument over whether or not to portray a live celebrity like Swift.

“It was intense,” Jimenz said. “Kara felt we should do a dead celebrity. I didn’t really care for it because why tie ourselves to a dead stranger’s brand? We are trying to make our own wave. But as they say ‘happy wife, happy life,’ and I conceded. Once we started looking at names I again got frustrated and in a fit of exhaustion said, ‘F*** that let’s do a memorial for someone alive — like Taylor Swift?’ After laughing to tears and some much-needed make-up sex, the rest is history.”

Mullins and Jimenz have received a lot of hate mail from Swift fans but many people also find it hilarious. They just hope that the singer herself has a good sense of humor and even wish she’d “stop by and take a selfie” with her own RIP memorial.

What do you think about the message behind the mural?