Rock singer Courtney Love has delivered her dismissive verdict on Taylor Swift, saying the pop titan is “neither important” nor “interesting” as an artist.
The notoriously vocal musician, who rose to fame with her rock band Hole, has launched a new BBC series, The women of Courtney Love, on BBC Sounds.
In an extensive interview with the Evening standard, Love set her up to take on some of the world’s biggest female stars, including Swift, who she once hailed as an “aspirational role model for many young women.”
“Taylor is not important,” the 59-year-old said. “She may be a safe space for girls, and she’s probably the Madonna of the moment, but she’s not interesting as an artist.”
In 2021, Love shared a Facebook post wishing Swift a “happy birthday” and praising her for her influence on young women. She also posted a photo of herself with Swift, her “casual twin/neighbor.”
Love went further and also attacked Lana Del Rey, who she called a “musical genius” about a year ago.
“I haven’t liked Lana since she covered a John Denver song, and I think she really should take seven years off,” she said.
Turning her attention to Beyoncé, she remarked, “I like the idea of Beyoncé making a country record because it’s about black women entering spaces where previously only white women were allowed, even if it doesn’t I don’t like it very much. As a concept, I love it. I just don’t like his music.
The “Celebrity Skin” singer, however, reserved praise for artists like Patti Smith, Nina Simon, Julie London, Joni Mitchell and PJ Harvey (“the first four albums, then I’m done”).
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In the same interview, Love admitted that she had “always wanted to be known as a bitch.”
“Being loved was never my thing,” she said. “Kurt [Cobain] I wanted to be loved but not me… I had bitch power and I was cool with not being loved. I saw Bob Dylan in Do not look back and he didn’t want to be liked and I thought, yeah, I want to be like that.
Beyoncé, Swift and Del Rey all had particularly prolific years. Beyoncé recently became the first black woman to top the country charts in the United States with her album. Cowboy Carteras well as the first black artist in history to reach number 1 in the UK with a country music album.
Meanwhile, Del Rey is one of the headliners at the 2024 Coachella Festival, having received multiple Grammy nominations for her 2023 album. Did you know there is a tunnel under Ocean Blv.
Swift, 34, is preparing to release her 11th album, The Department of Tortured Poets, whose landing is scheduled for Friday April 19.
She also begins the European and British legs of her record-breaking Eras tour, which begins in Paris on May 9 and concludes with five nights at London’s Wembley Stadium.
