Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. Optimus Prime and Megatron.And Taylor Swift and Kanye West.
Feuds don’t get more colossal than the one between two of the biggest stars in music. (And the reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who was married to West for a time, has been involved too.) There has been a leaked tape, diss tracks and videos, and a naked wax figure. The latest salvo came in Swift’s interview with Time magazine after the publication chose her as Person of the Year.
The story has bubbled up even more as fans await the expected rerelease of Swift’s album “Reputation,” which was particularly focused on the dispute.
The incident that started it all. Swift, 19, goes onstage at Radio City Music Hall to accept the MTV Video Music Award for best female video for “You Belong With Me,” after defeating Beyoncé, among others.
She has barely said thank you when West, 32, bum rushes the stage, takes her microphone and declares: “I’m really happy for you; I’m going to let you finish. But Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time.”
As the crowd jeers, Swift, confused, does not finish her speech. When Beyoncé wins the video of the year award for “Single Ladies” later in the evening, she invites Swift onstage to rectify that.
West’s remarks quickly become the subject of memes, with one showing him interrupting the signing of the Declaration of Independence to declare that Magna Carta was better.
With public opinion sharply against him, West begins an apology tour, writing on social media: “That was Taylor’s moment, and I had no right in any way to take it from her. I am truly sorry.” West appeared on the first episode of Jay Leno’s new prime time talk show to apologize again.
Time seems to heal the rift, and the V.M.A.s, where the dispute began, seems to be the place where it ends. Swift presents West with a lifetime achievement award and says, “Kanye defines what it is to be a creative force in music, fashion and, well, life.”
West soaks in a prolonged ovation, then gives a 10-minute acceptance speech that does not quite include an apology.The Times said: “He floated through an extemporaneous speech covering the importance of the artist’s opinion, the cynicism of MTV, the tears of Justin Timberlake when he lost at the 2007 Grammys, and a joking announcement of a 2020 presidential run.”
Or maybe the feud isn’t over. A new song from West’s “The Life of Pablo” album, “Famous,” includes the lyric: “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. Why? I made that bitch famous.”
The sides trade accusations. After reports emerge that Swift had approved the song, a spokeswoman for Swift says she had cautioned West “about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message” and adds that the singer “was never made aware” of the use of the word bitch in the lyric.
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