Taylor Swift defends against backlash

Damon Albarn of the English group ‘Blur’ took to Twitter to defend himself after a Los Angeles Times article showcasing his beliefs about songwriting was released. His opinion about Taylor Swift caused an uproar that had him apologizing and backtracking all week long.

In the article Albarn was quick to judge Swift on her artistry and that songs she’s co-written with others don’t count as true songwriting.

“I know what co-writing is. Co-writing is very different to writing,” Albarn said. “There’s a big difference between a songwriter and a songwriter who co-writes.”

About an hour after the article was released Swift took Twitter to voice her hurt and to dispute his accusation about her songwriting.

“I was such a huge 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 fucked up to try and discredit my writing. WOW.”

Swift wasn’t lying when she said she writes all of her songs. Every single song that she has ever released, that’s not a cover, she has written or co-written. That’s nearly 200 songs.

In an article for Billboard, Danielle Pascual compiled a list of every solo write Swift has released.

“Taylor Swift does, in fact, have a hand in writing all her songs. Co-writers on her studio albums include Jack Antonoff, Max Martin, Ryan Tedder, Aaron Dessner and even her actor boyfriend Joe Alwyn, but she’s written a number of songs — 54 songs, to be exact — all on her own, beginning at age 12 up until now. Her third studio album, ‘Speak Now,’ is comprised entirely of songs she wrote alone.”

“Speak Now” is also considered, by fans, to be the next rerecording Swift will release in her effort to claim the masters of her songs which were sold off a few years ago. Coincidently the Grammy Award winning song “Mean,” which appears as the sixth track on the album, is about a similar situation that happened years ago. The solo write outlines the story of another journalist tearing Swift down for her talents.

You, with your switching sides

And your wildfire lies and your humiliation

You have pointed out my flaws again

As if I don’t already see them

I walk with my head down

Trying to block you out, ’cause I’ll never impress you

I just wanna feel okay again

Despite Albarn claiming that his conversation was reduced to clickbait and apologizing, there was no stopping the firestorm of Swifties and music fans alike. They were quick to point out other discrepancies in his interview, specifically how he described Swift’s music as “endlessly upbeat” and how he considers Billie Eilish and her brother true songwriters despite the fact that they often co-write together.

Swift has a lot of songs you can dance to but dare anyone to dance to “Last Kiss.” You just might see them crying by the end of the bridge:

And I hope the sun shines and it’s a beautiful day

And something reminds you you wish you had stayed

You can plan for a change in the weather and time

But I never planned on you changing your mind

She wrote the song all by herself at the age of 19. It appears as track 13 on Speak Now.

But, perhaps the heartbreak is still too upbeat for some.

“Ronan” is a co-write with Maya Maria Thompson. The song is about Thompson’s son who lost his battle to cancer. It’s a culmination of blog posts, poems and Swift’s lyrics.

Flowers pile up in the worst way, no one knows what to say

About a beautiful boy who died

The idea that Swift’s discography is endlessly upbeat is laughable. Swift often sings about heartbreak, and beyond that, she sings about the toll of fame and the complexities of getting older and wiser. “Folklore” and “Evermore,” which are Swift’s latest full length albums, are collections of Swift’s most mature and downright sad songs to date. It’s pretty clear that none of those are “endlessly upbeat.”

As the cycle of the next rerecord nears the next rotation, it seems that history is repeating itself. Whether the next release is “Speak Now” or not, Swift shouldn’t have to prove herself. She has won songwriting awards across three different genres of music and has proved time and time again that she is worthy of being called one of the greatest of our time.