English singer Damon Albarn apologized to Taylor Swift on Monday after supposedly claiming she doesn’t write her own songs.
Earlier, Swift blasted the 53-year-old voice of Blur and Gorillaz in a tweet.
“I write ALL of my own songs. Your hot take is completely false and SO damaging,” she wrote. “You don’t have to like my songs but it’s really f**ked up to try and discredit my writing. WOW.
“PS I wrote this tweet all by myself in case you were wondering.”
Albarn 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.”
Swift reacted to a tweet by the Los Angeles Times promoting an interview with Albarn. “Billie Eilish? ‘I think she’s exceptional.’ Taylor Swift? ‘She doesn’t write her own songs.’”
In his conversation with Albarn, reporter Mikael Wood pointed out that Swift writes and co-writes her songs.
“That doesn’t count,” Albarn is quoted as saying. “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.”
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.”
Among those coming to Swift’s defence were her collaborators Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner. “i’ve never met damon albarn and he’s never been to my studio," tweeted Antonoff, "but apparently he knows more than the rest of us about all those songs taylor writes and brings in … if you were there … cool … go off. if not … maybe …. shut the f**k up?”
Dessner tweeted: “Not sure why you @Damonalbarn would try to discredit Taylor's brilliant songwriting but as someone who has gotten to press 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."
Maren Morris weighed in with “Writing songs with songwriters means you’re a songwriter" and Richard Marx opined: "everyone is free to express their opinions, but also open to being called out. @taylorswift13 has written many songs ALONE. Billie co-writes all her songs. They’re both very talented. And we already have talentless critics bashing artists, so please STFU."