Jack Antonoff Tells Los Angeles Times “Questioning Swift’s Songwriting ‘Is Like Challenging Someone’s Faith In God’.”
Taylor Swift and her music may not be your cup of tea. And that’s ok. Personally outside of a couple of songs Billie Elish and Chris Stapleton aren’t artists I typically find myself enjoying listening to. However, I will be the first to tell you that both of them are extremely talented. And whether you find yourself listening to Taylor Swift or not you cannot deny she is the songwriter of a generation. Whether it’s a catchy pop song or a heartbreaking ballad full of literary metaphors and verses that have you consulting a dictionary. Swift’s incredibly relatable and vulnerable songwriting is what has made her the biggest star on the planet. And her good friend and producer Jack Antoff has some words for anyone who critiques Swift’s songwriting- he compared it to “challenging someone’s faith in God”.
This quote was part of an interview with The Los Angeles Times that was released on February 28th, 2024. The interview took place prior to The Grammys, where Taylor Swift would not only win her record-breaking 4th Album of The Year award but announce a new album The Tortured Poets Department. A project that Antonoff worked on with Swift. Antonoff who has been friends with and worked with Swift since 2012 has come to her defense several times before. This included a public spat with Damon Albarn who had the audacity to suggest that perhaps Swift doesn’t write her own songs. Albarn retracted his obviously false statement but not before Antonoff vocally came to Swift’s defense.
A defense he still stands by to this day. Here is what The Los Angeles Times reports that he said:
“I’m a little bitch sometimes,” he allows. “But you come after my friend Taylor, you’re toast to me.” Questioning Swift’s songwriting, he adds, “is like challenging someone’s faith in God. You just don’t go there.”
He also discussed Kanye West whose negative history with Swift dates back to 2009. Antonoff told the Times in regards to West “It’s been a long time since I would’ve taken Kanye’s call”. He also described him as someone who “needs his diaper changed so badly.” I love a supportive friend, and that’s what Antonoff has been to Swift, one of my favorite people in the world, for years. So Jack, I’ll always be on your side as well, thanks for sticking up for my girl.
Read the full article here.
13 Of The Best And Most Iconic Taylor Swift Bridges To Date
We’ve known it for 18 years at this point. Taylor Swift is an incredible songwriter from her intricate lyrics to catchy hooks. She has an innate ability to relate to her audience- shown from a young age on her debut album in tracks like “Teardrops On My Guitar” and “Tim McGraw” (my all-time favorite song of hers that she has tied once but will never be able to top). Her crafty lyricism is displayed in “Cold As You” another track off that debut album that was released when she was just 16. All these years later it is still one of her most well-written tracks. The hook is “I’ve never been anywhere cold as you”. A teenager wrote that. A teenager. And she has continued to show masterful growth in her songwriting throughout the years though, and one of the things Taylor does better than anyone? Writing a bridge. The Taylor Swift bridges are where she shines the brightest lyrically. But what are the best and most iconic Taylor Swift bridges? In some ways that is an easy question to answer.
What Is A “Bridge?”
But before I do let’s delve a little deeper. What exactly is the bridge of a song? Essentially it connects two sections of the song (i.e. a verse and chorus) but follows a slightly different structure. In terms of Taylor Swift her bridges typically fall after the second chorus. A bridge often features a different tempo than the rest of the song and helps tell the story. And as one of, if not the, greatest songwriters of our generation storytelling is at the heart of every Taylor Swift track. If you are any sort of Taylor fan you can probably rattle off your favorite right bridge right now.
Taylor can truly do it all when it comes to songwriting- from catchy pop hits like “Shake It Off” and “Anti Hero” to lyrical masterpieces that rip your heart out. There are countless examples throughout her now 18+ year career of this, and she only gets better as time progresses. So while it was hard to narrow down here are 13 (it had to be 13) of the best and most iconic Taylor Swift bridges to date. I expect nothing more than her topping what she has already done with her next release. These are in no particular order, simply the way they came into my head. Enjoy, and if you have these stuck in your head all day, it’s just another example of her genius.
Melanie Day is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She has worked for Beasley since 2012 in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles in both digital and promotions. Melanie writes about a diverse range of topics some of her favorites include travel, restaurants, Taylor Swift, and college athletics. When not at work you'll find her at a country concert or NC State sporting event.
