Taylor Swift's frequent collaborator and producer says questioning her songwriting skills "is like challenging someone's faith in God; you just don't go there."
Don't stand between Jack Antonoff and his pal Taylor Swift. A staunch supporter of the global icon for years, as well as producer and frequent collaborator, Antonoff won't hear criticism of her songwriting -- and he won't hear from Kanye West at all.
The musician defended Swift in a new interview with The Los Angeles Times against claims that she doesn't actually write her own music. The claims are, of course, based on absolutely nothing as Swift has famously told her life story through her prolific musical output.
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View StoryNevertheless, haters gonna hate so Antonoff is here to set the record straight with a very lofty comparison. According to him, questioning her songwriting skills and talent "is like challenging someone's faith in God; you just don't go there."
While the speculation has always existed in the corners of social media, The Daily Mail reminds that Blur and Gorillaz frontman Damon Alborn told The LA Times she "doesn't write her own songs" -- and that Antonoff called him out on social media immediately.
i’ve never met damon albarn and he’s never been to my studio but apparently he knows more than the rest of us about all those songs taylor writes and brings in. herb.
— jackantonoff (@jackantonoff) January 24, 2022 @jackantonoff
He also had no qualms about taking aim at one of Swift's biggest -- and longest -- rivals, Kanye West. Speaking about the rapper, Antonoff said he "just needs his diaper changed so badly."
The ongoing feud between the superstars kicked off all the way back in 2009 when West stormed the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards to interrupt her acceptance speech and announce that Beyoncé should have won, instead.
While he later apologized for that faux pas (and then retracted said apology), he then incorporated a lookalike of Swift in his 2016 music video for "Famous," seemingly taking credit for her career with the line, "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b---h famous."
Kim Kardashian, married to West at the time, then shared a portion of a phone call between the two artists discussing the track, claiming that she approved him name-dropping her on it ... it was the "I made that b---h famous" part Swift purportedly had no knowledge of, and didn't like.
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View StoryWhile West and Swift appear to have ended their feud, or at least put it on pause, it never seems to drop below a low simmer. Just within the past few weeks, West commented that he's been "far more helpful to Taylor's career than harmful," while denying she got him booted from the Super Bowl for reportedly trying to "upstage" her.
He did acknowledge both Swift and Beyoncé as being inspirational to other musicians with their successes, joking to Swift's fans, "I am not your enemy um I'm not your friend either though lol."
Meanwhile, the rapper continues to be embroiled in controversy, from his latest album sampling Donna Summer and Black Sabbath, reportedly without permission, to the incredibly provocative way his wife Bianca Censori dresses, to his ongoing anti-Semitic rhetoric.
"I'm so incredibly bored when someone doesn't have the sauce anymore, so they go elsewhere to shock," Antonoff told the Times of the "Talking" artist. "It's just a remarkable waste of space."
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View StoryAs for whether or not he has any concerns on blasting one of music's biggest stars, the producer joked, "It's been a long time since I would've taken Kanye's call."
Besides, as he puts it, "I'm a little b---h sometimes." He also emphasized, "You come after my friend Taylor, you're toast to me."
Swift's forthcoming 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department could mark her seventh time collaborating with Antonoff (though it's unclear at this time if he was involved in it). They previously collaborated on 1989, Reputation, Lover, Folklore, Midnights and the remasters of Fearless, Red, Speak Now, and 1989.
Without a release date as of yet, Swift has nevertheless been teasing her fans relentlessly with morsels about her forthcoming album while preparing to bring her Eras Tour to Singapore next month as part of its international leg.