‘I apologise unreservedly’: Blur’s Damon Albarn says sorry to Taylor Swift amid backlash over an interview where he falsely claimed she ‘doesn’t write her own songs’
- Taylor hit back at the Blur frontman’s claims that she does not write her own music, which he alleged in a recent interview with the LA Times
- ‘Your hot take is completely false and so damaging,’ she tweeted on Monday
- Her response came after the Blur frontman, 53, stated the 32-year-old pop star ‘doesn’t write her own songs,’ and is ‘a songwriter who co-writes’
- Damon apologised after receiving backlash for his controversial comment, claiming his opinion had been ‘taken out of context and used as clickbait’
Damon Albarn has apologised to Taylor Swift ‘unreservedly and unconditionally’.
The Blur frontman, 53, incurred the wrath of the Lover hitmaker, 32, by downplaying her songwriting ability in a recent interview.
But after she called him out for his remarks, the singer took to Twitter on Monday and insisted he never wanted to ‘discredit’ her and blamed ‘clickbait’ for the interest surrounding his inaccurate wording.
Statement: Damon Albarn has apologised to Taylor Swift (pictured) ‘unreservedly and unconditionally’ for falsely calling her out for not writing her own music
I’m sorry, but… The singer took to Twitter on Monday to apologise but decided to blame clickbait for the interest in his words – despite saying them
Taylor retweeted a Los Angeles Times piece about Damon’s interview which read: ‘Albarn also spills his thoughts on some of today’s chart-topping music artists.
‘Billie Eilish? I think she’s exceptional.’
‘Taylor Swift? She doesn’t write her own songs.’
Taylor then wrote: ‘I was such a big fan of yours until I saw this. I write ALL of my own songs. Your hot take is completely false and SO damaging.
‘You don’t have to like my songs but it’s really f****d up to try and discredit my writing. WOW.
Candid: The Blur frontman, 53, incurred the wrath of the Lover hitmaker, 32, by downplaying her songwriting ability in a recent interview
‘PS I wrote this tweet all by myself in case you were wondering.’
Damon replied: ‘I totally agree with you. I had a conversation about songwriting and sadly it was 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’.
In the interview, the Parklife singer insisted he wasn’t ‘hating’ on Taylor but suggested collaborating with other songwriters was ‘very different’ to taking sole responsibility for her work.
He said: ‘She doesn’t write her own songs. 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.’
Firing back: Taylor retweeted a Los Angeles Times piece about Damon’s interview which read: ‘Albarn also spills his thoughts on some of today’s chart-topping music artists’ (pictured in October 2021)
Damon went on to praise Billie Eilish, who writes her songs with her brother, Finneas.
He added: ‘A really interesting songwriter is Billie Eilish and her brother. 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.’
Damon – who has written all his own songs as a solo artist and for bands Blur and Gorillaz – has claimed his comment had been ‘taken out of context and used as clickbait.
The British musician praised Billie Eilish as a ‘really interesting songwriter’ and her brother Finneas O’Connell.
‘I’m more attracted to that than to Taylor Swift. It’s just darker — less endlessly upbeat,’ he said of the Bad Guy hitmaker.
Taylor wrote: ‘I was such a big fan of yours until I saw this. ‘I write all of my own songs. Your hot take is completely false and so damaging. You don’t have to like my songs but it’s really f**ked up to try and discredit my writing. Wow’
Opinion: In the interview, Damon said he wasn’t ‘hating’ on Taylor but suggested collaborating with other songwriters was ‘very different’ to taking sole responsibility for her work
Although Billie and Taylor have yet to collaborate, the women have been seen hugging at events and cheered each other during their respective 2021 Grammy Awards performances.
In 2019, Billie thanked Taylor for ‘taking care of her’ and breaking barriers as a woman in the music industry while accepting Billboard’s woman of the year award.
Ultimately, Taylor said she, Lana Del Rey, Billie, and Lizzo and other female musicians ‘could’ve’ been crushed by the pressure, but it made them diamonds.
Record producer and songwriter Jack Antonoff, who has worked with Taylor for seven years, jumped to her defense just minutes after she tweeted.
‘If you were there … cool … go off. if not … maybe … shut the f**k up? the 37-year-old songwriter fired on his own Twitter.
Alternative: The British musician went on to praise Billie Eilish (seen in 2020) as a ‘really interesting songwriter’ and her brother Finneas O’Connell
That same night, Taylor called out ‘toxic male privilege’ and how ‘women in music are not allowed to coast.’
‘We are held at a higher, sometimes impossible-feeling, standard,’ she said during her speech, which received a standing ovation.
She went on to slam those that claimed, earlier in her career, that ‘a male producer or co-writer’ was responsible for her success.
‘In the last 10 years, I have watched as women in this industry are criticized and measured up to each other and picked at for their bodies, their romantic lives, their fashion,’ she continued.
Antonoff, 37, went on to say he has ‘never met Damon Albarn’ and says the artist has ‘never’ been to his studio, where he has worked on every one of Taylor’s albums since 2014.
‘But apparently he knows more than the rest of us about all those songs Taylor writes and brings in,’ he said.
Likes: Singer Katy Perry also liked Swift’s tweet to Damon, where she said she, ‘wrote this tweet all by herself’
Damon reportedly called Adele ‘very insecure’ and her work as ‘middle of the road’ back in 2015, the Easy on Me author told the Rolling Stones.
‘It ended up being one of those ‘don’t meet your idol’ moments,’ she said of his comments.
‘But it was sad, and I regret hanging out with him. He said I was insecure, when I’m the least-insecure person I know.’
Backup: Record producer and songwriter Jack Antonoff, who has worked with Swift for seven years, jumped to her defense
A number of others jumped to Taylor’s defense, such as Chile president Gabriel Boric Font, who said: ‘Here in Chile you have a huge group of supporters who konws that you write your own songs from the heart. Don’t take seriously guys that need to insult or lie to get attention. Hugs from the south Taylor.’
Singer Katy Perry also liked Taylor’s tweet to Albarn, where she said she, ‘wrote this tweet all by herself.’
Longtime Swift collaborator Aaron Dessner also called out Damon, stating, ‘Not sure why you @DamonAlbarn would try to discredit Taylor’s brilliant songwriting but as someone who’s gotten to press a record around her… your statements couldn’t be further from the truth… you’re obviously completely clueless as to her actual writing and work process.’
Chile: A number of others jumped to Swift’s defense, such as Chile president Gabriel Boric Font, who said, ‘Here in Chile you have a huge group of supporters who konws that you write your own songs from the heart. Don’t take seriously guys that need to insult or lie to get attention. Hugs from the south Taylor’
Aaron speaks out: Longtime Swift collaborator Aaron Dessner also called out Albarn, stating, ‘Not sure why you @DamonAlbarn would try to discredit Taylor’s brilliant songwriting but as someone who’s gotten to press a record around her… your statements couldn’t be further from the truth… you’re obviously completely clueless as to her actual writing and work process.
Journalist CJ Farley added, ‘I’ve interviewed everyone from Bob Dylan to Aretha Franklin to Jay-Z. @taylorswift13 is definitely a genius songwriter and one of the smartest artists I’ve ever met. Kind of gross that someone would challenge that.’
Record producer Nathan Chapman quote-retweeted Taylor’s tweet to Albarn, adding, ‘YES. @taylorswift13 1,000,000% writes her own songs. And she’s one of the best songwriters of our time.’
Another record producer, Joel Little, added, ‘Just to confirm what 99% of people already knew, @taylorswift13 is a force of nature in the studio and one of the best to ever do it. Anyone who’s made music with her knows they were lucky to be in the room.’
CJ speaks: Journalist CJ Farley added, ‘I’ve interviewed everyone from Bob Dylan to Aretha Franklin to Jay-Z. @taylorswift13 is definitely a genius songwriter and one of the smartest artists I’ve ever met. Kind of gross that someone would challenge that’
Nathan: Record producer Nathan Chapman quote-retweeted Taylor’s tweet to Albarn, adding, ‘YES. @taylorswift13 1,000,000% writes her own songs. And she’s one of the best songwriters of our time.’
Confirm: Another record producer, Joel Little, added, ‘Just to confirm what 99% of people already knew, @taylorswift13 is a force of nature in the studio and one of the best to ever do it. Anyone who’s made music with her knows they were lucky to be in the room.’
The Tidal music streaming app shared screengrabs of Swift’s solo writing credits and added, ‘Can confirm Taylor’s pen game is strong.’
Billboard’s Senior Director, Music, Jason Lipshutz added, ‘More than anything, ‘She doesn’t write her own songs’ is just the STRANGEST criticism one could lob at Taylor Swift without any actual evidence in an on-the-record interview. It’s like deciding not to say ‘I don’t like ice cream,’ and instead saying ‘Ice cream is actually warm.”
Singer-songwriter Maisie Peters said that, ‘Taylor Swift could write Song 2 but Damon Albarn could never write All Too Well 10 Minute Version.’
Pen game: The Tidal music streaming app shared screengrabs of Swift’s solo writing credits and added, ‘Can confirm Taylor’s pen game is strong’
Billboard: Billboard’s Senior Director, Music, Jason Lipshutz added, ‘More than anything, ‘She doesn’t write her own songs’ is just the STRANGEST criticism one could lob at Taylor Swift without any actual evidence in an on-the-record interview. It’s like deciding not to say ‘I don’t like ice cream,’ and instead saying ‘Ice cream is actually warm”
Maisie: Singer-songwriter Maisie Peters said that, ‘Taylor Swift could write Song 2 but Damon Albarn could never write All Too Well 10 Minute Version.’
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