Taylor Swift Deserves a Better Apology
This week’s pop culture communication lesson comes from Damon Albarn.
Who? I hear you asking…
You may be more familiar with Albarn’s music than his name. He entered the music scene in the 1990s in the Britpop band Blur, and was also in the band Gorillaz.
But he’s in the news this week because he has a show coming up in LA, and an interview in the Los Angeles Times.
During the interview, Albarn was critical of modern music.
Then the journalist brought up Taylor Swift, saying: ‘She may not be to your taste, but Taylor Swift is an excellent songwriter.’
Albarn responded, ‘She doesn't write her own songs.’
‘Of course she does. Co-writes some of them,’ the journalist countered.
‘That doesn't count. I know what co writing is. Co-writing is very different to writing.’
And then Albarn goes on to say: ‘...a really interesting songwriter is Billie Eilish and her brother.’
Billie and her brother? Wouldn’t they be co-writers?
As you might expect, Taylor Swift did not respond positively to Albarn’s remarks.
She posted on twitter that she had been such a big fan of Albarn’s – until she saw his remarks.
Albarn’s social media probably began to explode at that point, and within an hour, he responded to Swift on twitter:
Now, I don't know about Taylor, but for me, this apology hits a sour note.
In fact, it fails for three reasons.
It feels insincere
Albarn doubted and diminished Taylor Swift as a songwriter, and belittled the contributions of co-writing.
Yet, he cites Billie Eilish and her brother as people that he thinks are really interesting, and they write songs together. So is the issue co-writing, or Swift’s music?
He tells Swift the ‘last thing’ he would want to do is ‘discredit’ her songwriting.
But that’s exactly what he did.
And if you read the full article, his defense that this was ‘clickbait’ doesn't ring true either.
These are his words, and they are just one snippet the publication promoted.
It lacks remorse
It doesn't feel like Albarn's really sorry for what he said or how his comments may have made Swift feel.
He shows no awareness or acknowledgement of the sexism, ageism, and general judgement and criticism Swift has faced throughout her career.
Where is the empathy or remorse for the impact of his words?
It lacks reparations
It’s interesting that even in this statement he gives no credit to Swift for her songwriting or other achievements.
He says ‘I apologise’ but this apology lacks substance. He doesn’t admit he was mistaken – or take back his words.
How is he going to make things better? Will he choose his words more carefully in the future?
And why doesn’t he believe she writes her songs?
What proof does he have to support his allegations?
Does he now believe she writes her songs?
He doesn’t say.
So I’m not buying Albarn’s apology.
It feels like an attempt at damage control when you realize you’ve kicked the hornet’s nest. (And FYI, Swift is not the first female powerhouse musician he’s feuded with publicly).
Damon Albarn, if you are truly sorry and want to be forgiven, you need to write a better apology.
This one doesn’t cut it.
I hope you understand.
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Beth Collier helps people improve their communication, creativity, and leadership skills through private coaching and team workshops. She brings global corporate experience, Midwestern practicality and enthusiasm – and an endless supply of pop culture references to keep things fun!
To find out how she can help you become a more confident, creative, and compelling leader or improve communication in your company, visit www.beth-collier.com or drop her a line at beth@beth-collier.com
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