Taylor Swift's collaborator Jack Antonoff's comments spark accusations of feud with Billie Eilish
Jack Antonoff, known for his collaboration with Taylor Swift, faced accusations of subtly criticizing Billie Eilish during a recent appearance on the "Today" show. While discussing his songwriting process, Antonoff stated, "It’s hard to write unless you’re really compelled. And sometimes what compels you is way more serious things. I never feel like... You don’t hear a lot of great songs about like, one’s lunch order. So the things you don’t really understand and cause you pain are usually things worth writing about."
The incident follows ongoing tension between the fanbases of Eilish and Swift, sparked by previous remarks from Eilish. In a recent interview, Eilish labeled three-hour concerts as "psychotic," which some fans interpreted as criticism of Swift's lengthy Eras Tour shows. Eilish said, "Nobody wants that. You guys don't want that. I don't want that. I don't even want that as a fan. My favorite artist in the world, I'm not trying to hear them for three hours."
Eilish's previous comments on vinyl production also fueled the feud. She criticized the practice of releasing multiple vinyl versions to boost sales, calling it "wasteful." Though she did not name any specific artists, fans speculated she was referring to Swift, who has released numerous vinyl editions of her albums. Eilish later clarified on Instagram, stating, "I wasn't singling anyone out, these are industry-wide systemic issues."
The alleged feud has been further complicated by social media activity. Eilish's manager, Danny Rukasin, reportedly liked and then unliked a tweet accusing Swift of undermining other artists. The tweet referenced Swift's strategy of releasing music to coincide with other artists' releases, such as the 2017 release of her catalogue on Spotify the same day Katy Perry released "Witness," and the release of multiple versions of "The Tortured Poets Department" on the same day as Eilish's new album.
Despite the public back-and-forth, both artists have previously expressed admiration for each other. Eilish once praised Swift in a Los Angeles Times interview, calling her an "untouchable superstar." As the debate continues, fans remain divided over whether the comments made by Antonoff and Eilish were intended as direct criticisms.