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Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant recently shared some controversial views on Taylor Swift’s music career in a live event with The Guardian on April 22, sparking mixed reactions from listeners and fans alike.
Despite Swift’s enormous popularity, Tennant, 69, questioned the iconic status of her music, comparing her unfavorably to legends like Michael Jackson. “Taylor Swift sort of fascinates me as a phenomenon because she’s so popular, and I sort of quite like the whole thing, but then when I listen to the records… for a phenomenon as big, where are the famous songs?” he remarked during the interview.
Even when “Shake It Off” was cited as an example of Swift’s hit-making prowess by his bandmate, Chris Lowe, Tennant was unconvinced, suggesting it doesn’t hold up against Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” and lacks memorability.
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He acknowledged the 34-year-old pop star’s vocal talents but expressed disappointment in her musical compositions, separating her lyrics from the critique: “I like the fact that it brings all these people together, even multigenerational, but I think the one disappointing thing is the music — not the lyrics, the music.”
Tennant also commented on Swift’s personal life, implying that her success was bolstered by her high-profile relationships which often ended dramatically.
It’s safe to say these remarks have definitely stirred Swift’s fanbase, especially in light of her recent album The Tortured Poets Department, which achieved record-breaking streaming numbers on Spotify, becoming the platform’s most-streamed album in a single week.
“Love Story? Shake It Off? Blank Space? Cruel Summer? Just name a few,” wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter). “Neil tell us you’re trying to stay relevant without telling us you’re trying to stay relevant. Is her currently selling out stadiums around the world. Has Pet Shop Boys ever had a tour as big as the 1989, Reputation, or Eras tour?!” posted another, dragging Tennant.
This isn’t the first time Swift has been critiqued by peers this month. Earlier April Courtney Love also expressed dismissive sentiments about Swift. “Taylor is not important,” Love said in an interview with The Standard posted on April 12. “She might be a safe space for girls, and she’s probably the Madonna of now, but she’s not interesting as an artist.”
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.