Fans think Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift are currently in the middle of some pretty messy album beef, and as the chart race continues to see who will emerge with the number one record this week the drama just seems to get pettier. The two are currently challenging for the top spot on the Billboard album chart with their latest records The Tortured Poets Department and Hit Me Hard and Soft – a normal battle between two big artists in normal circ*mstances. But after an increasing number of petty shade has been thrown that’s been clocked by fans, it seems Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift are in the midst of some messy album beef. Here’s a rundown of everything that’s gone on.
‘I can’t even express to you how wasteful it is’
The first shots fired came from Billie Eilish, when she spoke out about her feelings on artists who release multiple versions of the same album in physical editions to boost sales – something Taylor Swift is notorious for.
Speaking to Billboard, Billie said ““I can’t even express to you how wasteful it is. It is right in front of our faces and people are just getting away with it left and right, and I find it really frustrating as somebody who really goes out of my way to be sustainable and do the best that I can and try to involve everybody in my team in being sustainable — and then it’s some of the biggest artists in the world making f*cking 40 different vinyl packages that have a different unique thing just to get you to keep buying more.
“It’s so wasteful, and it’s irritating to me that we’re still at a point where you care that much about your numbers and you care that much about making money — and it’s all your favourite artists doing that sh*t.”
Billie later clarified on her Instagram stories that she wasn’t singling out anyone in particular, but the Taylor shoe still fit.
Taylor then released three new editions of her album on Billie’s release day
Taylor Swift unveils three new digital editions of ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ including first draft phone memos of tracks ‘The Black Dog’ ‘Cassandra’ and ‘Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?’ available tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/KicFqnQs7o
— Pop Base (@PopBase) May 16, 2024
Taylor Swift announced three new versions of TTPD to boost sales, with some demo memos of its tracks. Fans were quick to reply to the announcement clocking the timing that these coincided with Billie Eilish releasing Hit Me Hard and Soft. One fan said “can she let Billie have her moment”, with another continuing “Billie really got her shaking over that vinyl comment.”
Taylor is projected to have a fifth week at number one now on the charts.
Kim Kardashian posted Billie merch on her story
Taylor Swift got backlash for the song thanK you aIMee on The Tortured Poets Department, namely because it was a thinly disguised dig at Kim Kardashian even though it had seemed the beef was squashed. Kim Kardashian showed her support for Billie Eilish with a load of Billie merch, and Billie reshared it on her own Instagram story.
Taylor releases a remix of Fortnight with BLOND:ISH, further boosting sales
An extra remix helps boost chart position and counts towards overall sales.
BLOND:ISH runs a nonprofit combating single use plastics in music…
Vivie-ann Bakos, the woman behind BLOND:ISH, is an environmental activist alongside her DJ and production work. She founded a nonprofit charity called Bye Bye Plastics to eliminate single use plastics in music venues and events. Certainly seems like a pointed move from Taylor…
‘Nobody needs that many songs’
Billie Eilish to Zane Lowe on her album ‘Happier Than Ever’:
“I think for that one we just didn’t put that much into it. That’s why there’s 16 songs. Nobody needs that many songs… As much as [it] was coming from this place of like, ‘We’re so good, this sounds so good,’ it was… pic.twitter.com/zEsIcYMGxd
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) May 22, 2024
Fans think Billie threw another Taylor whack into her Zane Lowe interview, when she criticised her previous album for having 16 songs when Taylor’s latest famously dropped with 31 tracks.
Speaking to Zane Lowe, Billie said “I think for that one we just didn’t put that much into it. That’s why there’s 16 songs. Nobody needs that many songs… As much as [it] was coming from this place of like, ‘We’re so good, this sounds so good,’ it was also, at least for me, not knowing at all who I was.”
We’ll know soon enough who the victor is in the Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish album beef, but for now there’s still a few days for it to get even pettier!
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