Billy Joel Receives Major Backlash for Comments Involving Taylor Swift

Billy Joel performs at Madison Square Garden on June 08, 2024 in New York City. Joel recently came under fire after referencing Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo in a comment about the current musical landscape.

Billy Joel is under fire for some comments made about the current music scene. As the singer reflected on the changing landscape of the music industry in a recent interview, he seemed to offend some fans along the way.

In a conversation with Variety posted on Tuesday, June 18, the iconic musician revealed his reluctance to create new work, questioning the relevance of albums today. "Who makes albums anymore anyway?" Joel mused. "I think the only person making new albums these days is Taylor Swift or Olivia Rodrigo. I don't know other people who make albums. I don't know what the marketing of that is like now."

The "Uptown Girl" singer's view seemingly contrasts with the reality of the current music scene. Despite his comments, many artists have released successful albums as of late, as shown on the the Billboard 200 chart this year.

Fans on X (formerly Twitter) had a myriad of responses for the 75-year-old, suggesting that he may be out of touch. "He needs to lowkey expand his musical tastes then," said one user, while another joked about the 6-time Grammy winner's age, saying, "Okay grandpa let's get you to bed."

Some fans, however, seemingly agreed with Joel, leaving comments on the social media platform like, "Taylor makes amazing albums, not just hot singles! He's so right. Olivia does as well, but so do others. I think he's saying Taylor's his favorite," and, "Greats recognize the greats."

Joel, who released his first single in 17 years, "Turn the Lights Back On," in February, explained to the publication that the creative process is particularly challenging for him, so fans shouldn't be expecting an album any time soon. "Writing is a form of torture," he confessed. "There's this big black beast with 88 teeth that wants to bite my fingers off while I'm writing. I drive myself nuts. It's just not as good as I want it to be," he said, referring to his instrument of choice, the piano.

He further elaborated on his struggles in the interview, saying, "It's a great deal of torment, and I decided I don't want to put myself through that anymore. I used to have drinking problems and all kinds of self-hate when I was writing, because I set the bar so high. It's not something I miss. I love making music."

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