Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant takes a swipe at Taylor Swift’s music: She doesn’t have ‘famous songs’

Based and Facts

He's not wrong.
Still, Neil acknowledges Swift's phenomenal success, strength as a vocalist, deft lyricist and being the poet of her generation. I encourage people to watch the whole interview.

Very true

The fame thing isn’t true about her songs but generally he’s right. There’s really only been a handful of times where an artist has truly been out on their own as the clear biggest in the world at that time, which Taylor is (and fair play to her) but all of those have truly iconic anthems (I.e his Bille Jean example) that every generation listened to and will always listen to….she isn’t that

I agree, Swift's music never really got me. Neil is very brave to state his opinion. I hope people will leave him alone.

Coming from someone who's songs are mediocre and are nothing like Billie Jean !!!

PLEEEESE old white guys-- this kind of comment is only aimed at a young woman whose fans are mostly women - albeit many boys and men love her too. But he can't stand it that she has a bigger catalog with more hits than he does and did. I was a fan in the day, but can I list more than one hit? West End Girl. Let the mic drop and get off the stage- take a hint from the crickets in the audience.

If I were a teenage female I might get the appeal but I'm not so I don't.

LOVE NEIL... AND I LOVE MICHAEL JACKSON ❤❤❤

She does music for kids. Pet shop boys is another level of public.

"Is it though, because even I know that's the answer." 😂😂😂😂

Love Me Some PET SHOP BOYS. Taylor Swift is still singing for the16 and 18 year old and her girl squad. How old is she.

Neil Tennant WHO ??!! Looking this overgrown fool Neil Tenant Born in 1954, and Taylor Swift born in 1989. Hey Neil welcome in the year of 2024, just like others trying to get attention by using Taylor’s name. Wake up or go take an afternoon 😴 💤 you needed.

The audience didn’t clap, the yell out hit song titles either
I agree

Let the war between Swifties and Petheads begin!!! xD

Oldies group trying to stay relevant...

I'm a Swiftie, and I totally agree with Neil, and I loved the Pet Shop Boys.

I just searched him after this and realised his songs were really terrible. Seriously lifeless songs with no sense. This is my first time hearing of him and I guess it's the same for many too.
I'm in Africa and heard of Taylor when she was writing songs for hannah Montana way back. She is known all over because of her creative mind and relatable songs cos she sings about life.
She is even getting bigger than Micheal Jackson. People won't admit this but it's the truth.
You got this comment wrong.

Hast du das nötig?

Pretty rich from a guy who’s only hit is just him saying “Absolutely Fabulous” over and over again while sound clips from the TV show “Absolutely Fabulous” play.

He is great....
Taylor , no so much.

Typical Neil clambering onto artists better than him to try and achieve some relevance before the lacklustre album drop a insignificant omd tribute act 🤭

He is right.

Jealousy

Looser! You are just jealous. Can you fill a stadium at least once? Everyone it’s jealous of Tay eat you heart out!

He's right. She's very talented but she doesn't have a classic song.Something really huge, and this is so strange, because everything she does is a hit...

You can ask this for every artist right now. And the answer will be always something uncomparable to Billie Jean.

What's going on here with Neil's voice?

A clear case of the common human inability to place anything into temporal perspective.

Classic anything isn't considered so until long after it is created. 10 years after release, Billie Jean was just considered a successful pop song. Classic rock radio now plays stuff it didn't 30 years ago because it was too recent. Once, it was purely 60s and 70s.

Seriously, do some of you know how time works? You think these obsessed Swift fans are just gonna forget about her music? They will carry it forward in time, and those older than them will begin to die. Then, guess what....?

Queen Tennant is so right ❤❤

Dear Mr. Tennant,

With all due respect, Sir, trying to get your name in the news by taking cheap swipes at an infinitely younger and infinitely more successful talent like Swift is frankly beneath you and only makes 70-year-olds such as yourself look more than a tad catty, not to mention 'thirsty' for attention.

Now, don't get me wrong, I used to love the PSB way way way back in the day, but you need to take notice of the fact that MUSIC HAS MOVED ON since then.

After all, there are several generations of folks who could not name a single song PSB ever performed, yet surely that does not mean that your music was not extremely popular at one time, does it, Sir? No, of course it doesn't. It just means YOU HAVE GOTTEN OLD. Please try to keep up and stop showing your age! You're making folks of a certain age look like thirsty trolls.


Respectfully,

One of the many billions of music listeners who recognize why Taylor Swift's talent and audience identification are driving the Billboard Music Bus these days. Thank you!😘😘

Some people in the comments agree with him. Some people insult him. Nobody can name her "Billy Jean". Because Michael Jackson was a completely different calibre. "Beat It" (the song as well as the music video) alone contains more emotional power and artistic spark and beauty than her whole career. Michael Jackson aside though: Where is her "Yesterday" or her "Strawberry Fields Forever"? Her "Stairway to Heaven"? Her "Child in Time"? Her "When Doves Cry"? I could go on. She simply is a bit dull musically, and whatever constitutes her success, it is certainly not the iconic quality of her songs. So, he is absolutely right, and he said it in a respectful manner. But obviously stating an opinion (especially as an older man) nowadays already is a sin.

What Taylor Swift doesn’t do is trash other artists.

She has hits. Love Story, Blank Space, etc..... But her new albums don't have any. All TV Versions and Vault Tracks of her plus the new album feels like AI. She lost the soul of her music

Old man

I don't get the Swift thing either. There was a time when singers became icons because they did something fresh and original. Swift epitomizes conformist banality.

Neil deserves a Nobel

Gotta go with Neil on this. For all Taylor's fame in the social media era it's bizarre that her music isn't that memorable.

Neil Tennant got out of this one alive! I have no clue who he was not obliterated on social media.

I demand Pet Shop Boys to write Taylor Swift’s Billy Jean. Now that Neil opened his big mouth, I want to see him delivering. Neil, show us how is done. 🥰

To me her music is like the tooth fairy your meant to grow out of it but unfortunately a lot of people haven't

Neil is right. I don't know any of her songs.

THANK you. She’s hands down the most overrated artist of all time. If you disagree, you’re wrong.

I am still waiting for Taylor Swift's defining album like Jagged Little Pill(Alanis Morrisette) or a Carole King Tapestry album. So far she does not quite make it. Taylor plays it way too safe to appease the masses. Both Alanis and Carole provided a rawness in their albums that Taylor lacks.

It's exactly the same as what happened with Madonna in the 80s

At least she has more top 10 songs in the billboard charts than the self called pop kids pet shop boys. If you are at a 3,5 h concert, than you think every song is on a billie jean scale.

Taylor Swift is treated like this generation's Michael Jackson, but has No Hit Songs like Michael Jackson!

Taylor Swift makes white girl music! Period!

Interesting

I love this man! 😂😂😂

Yes.yes