Blur’s Damon Albarn is apologizing to Taylor Swift after accusing the singer/songwriter of not writing her own music and getting a response from Taylor on Twitter.
via People:
“@DamonAlbarn I was such a big fan of yours until I saw this. I write ALL of my own songs,” the 32-year-old “Lover” singer wrote, adding, “Your hot take is completely false and SO damaging.
“You don’t have to like my songs but it’s really f—ed up to try and discredit my writing. WOW,” she continued.
Swift — who has written or co-written every song she’s released since the start of her career — ended her Twitter statement with: “PS I wrote this tweet all by myself in case you were wondering.”
Albarn replied and tweeted that he “agrees” with the 11-time Grammy winner, stating that his comments were “reduced to clickbait.”
“I apologise unreservedly and unconditionally. The last thing I would want to do is discredit your songwriting. I hope you understand. – Damon,” he added.
Many of Swift’s collaborators, including Aaron Dessner and Nathan Chapman, defended Swift Monday afternoon.
“You’re obviously completely clueless as to her actual writing and work process,” tweeted Dessner. Added producer Nathan Chapman, who has worked with Swift on five albums: “@taylorswift13 1,000,000% writes her own songs. And she’s one of the best songwriters of our time.”
In a Los Angeles Times interview published Sunday, Albarn said Swift “doesn’t write her own songs.”
He went on to say that co-writing “doesn’t count.”
“I know what co-writing is. Co-writing is very different to writing. I’m not hating on anybody, I’m just saying there’s a big difference between a songwriter and a songwriter who co-writes,” Albarn said. “Doesn’t mean that the outcome can’t be really great.”
(Swift’s third studio album, Speak Now, was entirely written by the pop star, who previously told Rolling Stone she was motivated to write the record solo as a response to claims she didn’t write her own music. Many of the singer’s most-beloved songs — including “Our Song,” “Love Story,” “Red,” “Lover” and “Cornelia Street” — were written without co-writers.)
Albarn then named “some of the greatest singers” like Ella Fitzgerald who he said “never wrote a song in her life.”
“When I sing, I have to close my eyes and just be in there. I suppose I’m a traditionalist in that sense,” Albarn said.
Albarn saluted songwriters Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas O’Connell, saying, ” I’m more attracted to that than to Taylor Swift. It’s just darker — less endlessly upbeat. Way more minor and odd. I think she’s exceptional.”
Earlier this month, Swift — whose latest critically albums, folklore and evermore, explore topics including the impact of the pandemic, grief and devastating loss — teased a forthcoming release as she was named the first-ever global ambassador for Record Store Day.
The 15th annual Record Store Day (RSD), which celebrates independent record stores, will take place this year on April 23.
“I’m very proud to be this year’s Ambassador for Record Store Day,” Swift said in a press release. “The places where we go to browse and explore and discover music new and old have always been sacred to me.”
She added, “Record stores are so important because they help to perpetuate and foster music-loving as a passion.”
Swift will drop a “special RSD 2022 release” to commemorate the holiday’s 15th celebration, according to the press release. On past RSD celebrations, she has released new versions of albums 1989 and Speak Now, and unveiled a 7″ vinyl single version of Haim’s “Gasoline,” according to Billboard.
The one thing you can’t say about Taylor Swift is that she doesn’t write her own music. That we know is true.
