Damon Albarn blamed the media when he insulted Taylor Swift. Bad move

The Blur and Gorillaz frontman caught heat for erroneously saying in an interview that Swift ‘doesn’t write her own songs’. When he was found out, he chose to wheel out the ‘fake news’ excuse, writes Clémence Michallon

Charmless man: Swift put Albarn in his place (Getty)

In a recent interview with the LA Times, Damon Albarn (of Blur and Gorillaz fame) made some poorly received comments about Taylor Swift. Asked whether he believes many modern musicians are relying on “sound and attitude” (as opposed to simply good songs), Albarn told the interviewer, pop music critic Mikael Wood: “Name me someone who is not.”

Wood brought up Taylor Swift, telling Albarn: “She may not be to your taste, but Taylor Swift is an excellent songwriter.” To which Albarn shot back, boldly and, well, inaccurately: “She doesn’t write her own songs.”

The conversation went on. Wood disputed Albarn’s assertion, and Albarn claimed that co-writing credits “don’t count”, which missed the point since Swift has written more than 50 songs, including some of her biggest hits, on her own. Swift herself told Albarn on Twitter she writes all of her own songs, and that “you don’t have to like my songs but it’s really f***** up to try and discredit my writing”.