Taylor Swift vs Kanye West: The Feud Between the Artists and a Look at Their Music Careers

The story of Taylor Swift vs Kanye West will always be the Clash of Titans of Hollywood and the music industry. Reigning pop music queen Taylor Swift rules the charts and the hearts of millions with her unstoppable Eras Tour and new album The Tortured Poets Department. On the other hand, Kanye West, once regarded as a hip-hop luminary, has become synonymous with scandal, his once-dominant legacy masked by countless controversies and societal disasters.

Taylor and Kanye showed signs of musical genius early on in their lives, and both have persevered to reach the pinnacles of their respective fields despite suffering their fair share of struggles. Taylor started her career as a country music artist and later switched to pop and alternative, while Kanye continued to push the boundaries of hip-hop. At the height of their own fields, Taylor and Kanye were never really comPetitors in the music scene, with Swift expressing her admiration for West many times in interviews. However, the turning point came in 2009 when West infamously interrupted Swift’s VMA speech. After that infamous encounter, things were never quite the same. Later, when Kanye derogatorily called out Taylor in his song Famous, things escalated quickly, and the resultant crack between the two artists left a permanent scar.

Despite their shared passion for music and songwriting prowess, their careers have taken interesting turns in recent years. One continues to ride the waves of success and fame, while the other’s notoriety has overshadowed his artistic contributions. While the question of who made who famous remains a topic of debate, we look at Taylor Swift vs Kanye West, their career trajectories, success in music, and their decade-long feud.

Literary References Taylor Swift Used in The Tortured Poets Department

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Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Kicks Off its Europe Leg With Paris Shows

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Taylor Swift vs Kanye West: A side by side look at their lives and careers

Kanye West: Childhood and Rise to fame

Born in 1977 in Georgia, US, Kanye West is the only child of Dr. Donda Williams and Ray West. His parents split when he was just three years old, and as a consequence, he moved to Chicago with his mother. At the age of 10, West ended up relocating to Nanjing, China with his mother so that she could teach at Nanjing University as a Fulbright Scholar; they lived there for a year.

Kanye’s rap journey began when he was in third grade, with his love of music leading him to build up a basement studio at the age of 13. As a teenager, he produced killer beats and sold them to other artists. After graduating from high school in 1997, West received a scholarship to Chicago’s American Academy of Art, but soon transferred to Chicago State University to study English literature, continuing in his path of composing beats and rapping.

However, he quickly dropped out of college when he was offered a chance to sign with Colombia Records; sadly, it fell through, with Kanye sharing thereafter, “I said, I’m going to be bigger than Michael Jackson, I’m going to be bigger to Jermaine Dupri. I said that to (Columbia executive) Michael Mauldin.”

Mauldin is Dupri’s father, a fact widely believed to have eluded West at the time. Kanye shares that by the end of the meeting, “they hit me with those three words: we’ll call you. They sent limos on the way up, and when I got downstairs I couldn’t even catch a cab.”

However, this setback did not prevent West from becoming a successful musician. In the early 2000s, he began producing music for Roc-A-Fella Records artists like Jay-Z, Cam’ron, and Beanie Sigel. Artists including Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson also profited from his infectious beats. Despite his amazing talent as a rapper, many record labels passed on signing him, as he lacked the conventional drug-dealer gangster image that every rapper possessed at the time. “It was a strike against me that I didn’t wear baggy jeans and jerseys and that I never hustled, never sold drugs,” West told Time Magazine. Roc-A-Fella eventually reluctantly agreed to a deal with him, and hit the jackpot when The College Dropout became a tremendous success.

Taylor Swift: Childhood and rise to fame

Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in West Reading, Pennsylvania. She grew up on a Christmas tree farm, where she developed a passion for music at a young age. Inspired by musicians such as Shania Twain and Faith Hill, Swift began following her aspirations at the age of nine, taking voice and acting lessons in New York City. It was then that she discovered her passion for country music and started honing her songwriting skills.

Swift met a computer repairman and local musician named Ronnie Cremer when she was around 12 years old. Cremer taught her how to play the guitar and guided her songwriting journey in the early days. Her big break came in 2004 when she drew the notice of label owner Scott Borchetta at an industry showcase in Nashville. Borchetta was intrigued with her potential and signed her to his newly founded Big Machine Records.

Swift’s debut single Tim McGraw was released in 2006 while Big Machine Records was still in its infancy stage. The song started gaining popularity after a few months and with additional singles such as Teardrops on My Guitar, Our Song, Picture to Burn, and Should’ve Said No, she soon gained popularity in the country music sphere. Swift’s self-titled debut album skyrocketed to fame, earning her multiple awards and praise.

Kanye West’s extraordinary music career

West’s musical career began with a bang, literally. In October 2002, West was involved in a near-fatal vehicle accident while en-route to his California recording studio. The collision left him with a shattered jaw that was wired shut during surgery. Despite having his jaw wired shut, West recorded the amusingly titled Through the Wire just two weeks after the tragedy. He also produced Jay Z and Beyonce’s ’03 Bonnie & Clyde, which was Jay-Z’s highest-charting track at the time.

Through the Wire was originally part of West’s mixtape Get Well Soon, but it later became the lead single of his debut album The College Dropout. According to reports, the album leaked early and Kanye took the opportunity to revamp and update it. Meanwhile, Kanye’s behind-the-scenes work began to chart, which included Jay-Z’s Encore, Alicia Keys’ You Don’t Know My Name, and Ludacris’ Stand Up. When The College Dropout was released in February 2004, Through the Wire peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 list for five weeks. West’s second single, Slow Jamz, which featured Twista and Jamie Foxx, became the first No. 1 smash for all three performers. The album debuted at No.2 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and was certified triple platinum in the US.

Following the huge success of his debut album, Kanye formed his own record label, GOOD Music, and signed musicians such as No I.D. and John Legend. It bears noting that West has made headlines for public tantrums and profanity-laced remarks since the start of his career. However, his music career continued to thrive. Kanye released his second album, Late Registration, in 2005, and it swiftly became his first No.1 record, going three times platinum — like his first. He embarked on his first international tour, was named Time Magazine‘s Person of the Year in 2005, and appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone in February 2006.

West’s third album Graduation captured an immense fan base and was directly compared to rapper 50 Cent’s Curtis, which it easily outperformed. Graduation extended West’s record of critical and financial achievements, with the album’s lead single Stronger becoming his third number-one hit. However, tragedy struck in November 2007, when West’s mother Donda passed away from complications related to cosmetic surgery. Around this time, West also called off his engagement to fashion designer Alexis Phifer.

Kanye embarked on his Glow In The Dark Tour while still devastated by the loss of his mother and the breakup with his fiancée. However, he soldiered on, releasing his fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak in November 2008, exploring themes of intense love and suffering. The album also highlights Kid Cudi, a rising talent who collaborated with West on the track Welcome To Heartbreak. During this period, Ye also collaborated with sportswear manufacturer Nike to create his own sneaker brand, Air Yeezy.

West then collaborated with Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Nicky Minaj, John Legend, and Bon Ivor to produce his fifth album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which was released in 2010. The album, which explores his ruthless approach to dealing with fame, gained critical praise and is widely considered to be his best work. Before releasing Dark Twisted Fantasy, West launched the free music initiative GOOD Fridays on his website, which provided a free download of previously unreleased tracks every Friday.

The following year, Ye joined forces with his ‘big brother’ Jay-Z, collaborating with him on his next album Watch the Throne. Otis and N—s In Paris became instant hits, and the duo then embarked on the Watch The Throne tour, which was the highest-grossing hip-hop tour at the time. The same year, he produced Cruel Summer, a compilation album including musicians signed to West’s label Good Music, and presented a film of the same name at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, which was screened on a custom-built seven-screen cinema.

Kanye released his sixth studio album, Yeezus, in 2013, his most polarising work to date meant to highlight his rebellion against musical conventions and artistic constraits. Even though the album achieved number one in the United States, sales were quite low. After the release of the album, West embarked on his first solo tour in five years, with American rapper Kendrick Lamar as his support act. In June 2013, he welcomed his first child, North West with Kim Kardashian. That same year, Kanye moved his Yeezy collaboration to Adidas.

The following year, West and Kim K got married in Venice, Italy. After, Kanye recorded a duet, Only One, with Paul McCartney in memory of his late mother and also to honour the birth of his daughter. He also collaborated with Rihanna and Paul McCartney on the song FourFiveSeconds. Around the time, Yeezy shoes also began to gain popularity among sneakerheads. Riding high on his success, Kanye West released his seventh album The Life of Pablo in 2016, after altering the title twice. The album also included his now infamous song, Famous, which led to the escalation of his feud with Taylor Swift.

West announced the Saint Pablo Tour to promote the album, but after cancelling many gigs and being hospitalised due to extreme exhaustion and mental health issues, he opted to fully cancel the tour. While the creative releases of Yeezy continued to shine, West’s music would eventually resurface when he released two singles, Ye Vs. The People and Lift Yourself. He then helped Pusha-T’s DAYTONA record rise to critical success before releasing his eighth studio album, Ye. West also collaborated with Kid Cudi on the album Kids See Ghosts, likewise producing albums for Nas (Nasir, released in 2018) and Teyana Taylor (K.T.S.E., released in 2018)

Next, West announced his ninth studio album, Yandhi; however, after it was supposedly leaked online, his wife Kim Kardashian revealed that his upcoming album’s title would be Jesus is King. Ye released Wash Us in the Blood with Travis Scott as the lead single from his tenth album Donda in 2020, and a sequel to the album Donda 2 in 2022. He is currently working on a collaborative studio album trilogy with Ty Dolla Sign; the first instalment, Vultures 1, was released in February 2024, and the song Carnival became a smash hit. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, marking West’s eleventh consecutive number-one album and Ty Dolla Sign’s first.

Taylor Swift’s spectacular music career

Taylor Swift‘s music career has been a fascinating journey marked by constant progression, obstacles, and achievements fit for the silver screen. Her self-titled debut album, which was released in 2006, established her as a country music sensation. The album’s popularity provided a foundation for her future initiatives, paving the way for a career characterised by chart-topping successes and critical praise.

Swift’s popularity soared after the release of her second album, Fearless, in 2008. The album’s lead single, Love Story, became a generational proposal song, while You Belong With Me and White Horse established Swift’s status as a superstar. Fearless not only topped the charts but also earned her multiple prizes including three Grammys, making her the youngest Album of the Year winner of the time.

Swift’s ability to connect with her audience through honest songwriting became a signature trait of her music. Her evolution as a songwriter was highlighted in Speak Now (2010), where she wrote all 17 tracks independently, a bold move that gained her critical acclaim. Her Speak Now World Tour, which grossed more than USD 123 million, verified her place as a global superstar. Swift took a new musical approach with Red, merging pop and country elements to create her own sound. The album’s lead single We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together became Swift’s first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, signalling her triumphant entry into the pop genre.

Following the tremendous success of Red, Swift released the ambitious 1989 album in 2014, completing her transition into pop music. The album’s lead single Shake It Off became a worldwide sensation, and songs like Blank Space and Style made her a pop icon. The 1989 World Tour became one of the most successful tours of all time, generating more than USD 250 million. In the meantime, Swift also became a vocal advocate for artists’ rights, challenging streaming giants Spotify and Apple Music over fair compensation for musicians. Swift’s decision to pull her music from Spotify in 2014 further challenged the system, and she would not return to Spotify until 2017.

Following the Kim-Kanye feud, Taylor made an epic comeback with her sixth studio album, Reputation. The album featured a heavy electropop sound with hip-hop, R&B, and EDM iNFLuences. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. She then proceeded to embark on the Reputation Stadium Tour, which generated USD 266.1 million at the box office and sold over two million tickets, breaking Swift’s own record for the highest-grossing US tour by a woman which had previously been set by her 1989 World Tour.

Taylor secured a new multi-album contract with Universal Music Group in November 2018, with her future releases slated to be promoted through the Republic Records label. The deal stipulated that she would retain ownership of her master recordings. Swift’s seventh album Lover is the first among her studio albums to be personally owned. Lover became the world’s best-selling solo studio album in 2019. However, during this time, talent manager Scooter Braun bought her masters from Big Machine without her permission, and Swift issued a statement that she would re-record all of her previous six albums that had been taken from her.

In July 2020, Swift surprised everyone with the announcement that she would be releasing her eighth studio album, Folklore. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and became the year’s longest-running No. 1, spending 8 non-consecutive weeks at the top of the chart. A few months later, Swift stunned her fans again by announcing her ninth studio album, Evermore, which is the sister record of Folklore. Both albums feature an indie folk and alternative rock production, differing from her earlier pop releases. She also began working on her re-recorded albums, intent on reclaiming her archival songs. The first album to be re-recorded and re-released was her sophomore album Fearless (Taylor’s Version), which included six previously unreleased vault songs.

Taylor then released Red (Taylor’s Version) in 2021 and her tenth studio album, Midnights in 2022. Both albums maintained her streak at the top, peaking at number one. Swift then announced a world tour that would include performances from all of her ten albums/eras. The still-ongoing Eras Tour has already set multiple records, and has made an incredible impact as the highest-grossing music tour and concert film in history. Swift’s tour has also had an unmistakable economic impact, evident even in large countries such as the United States, France, and Singapore. While performing sold-out shows in the Eras Tour, Swift released two more of her re-re-recordings, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version), with both albums outperforming their original versions. Her most recent release, The Tortured Poets Department, became her 15th consecutive album to reach number one. It also made her the most-streamed artist of the day on Spotify.

Kanye West’s most controversial moments in Award shows

Kanye West has been the poster boy for controversy since the beginning of his career. His infamous stage run at the VMAs, where he snatched the mic from Taylor Swift, was not the first time he had something to say about awards and their recipients. Here are the best of his Petulant moments.

• In 2004, Kanye was nominated for the best debut artist at the American Music Awards, but Gretchen Wilson won the award. Following the announcement, he stormed out of the show and said “I was the best new artist this year… I was definitely robbed, and I refuse to give any politically correct bullshit-ass comment. I was the best new artist this year.” (And no, this was not a scripted performance).

• After his outburst at the AMAs, Kanye’s temper became a hot topic of conversation. But apparently, that wasn’t enough for him. When he won the Best Rap Album for The College Dropout, he went on the stage to say, “A lot of people were wondering what I was going to do if I didn’t win anything… I guess we’ll never know.” Some have commented on this speech, highlighting its smug overtones.
• After the Grammy nominations in 2006 came to light, Kanye stated he would “really have a problem” if he didn’t win Album Of the Year at that year’s Grammys.
• At the 2006 MTV EMAs, West’s song Touch the Sky lost to Justice & Simian’s We Are Your Friends in the Best Video category. As you would expect, he did not take it well. And, foreshadowing a certain future event, he went on stage and started rambling about how he deserved the award in the middle of the group’s acceptance speech.
• Kanye performed his song Stronger for the VMAs in the Palms’ Hugh Hefner Sky Villa and not on the main stage. Britney Spears opened the show while a medley by Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Nelly Furtado was the closing performance. According to sources of MTV, Kanye kept asking everyone who would lend him an ear, “Why did I perform in just a suite?” He was also heard saying, “Justin’s my boy, but even he gets to perform in both a suite and on the main stage? Something’s wrong here.” He also lost all five of the awards he was nominated for that night. Evidently taking his losses to heart, West reportedly yelled, “That’s two years in a row, man… I’m trying hard, man, I have the… #1 record, man.” Afterwards, a petty Kanye added he would “never return to MTV.”

Incredibly, these incidents occurred before Kanye West ever met Taylor Swift. Even outside of award events, Ye has played a part in creating several obnoxious incidents. Wherever he goes, trouble follows. After his divorce from Kim Kardashian in 2022, Ye married Bianca Censori, and her fashion choices have generated quite a stir in Hollywood — but not for good reason. The pair travelled to Venice after tying the not, but ended up earning a life ban from a Venetian boating company after engaging in indecent behaviour and exposure. Since then, the couple has coutinued to make headlines for a variety of inappropriate reasons. Many believe Ye is controlling and forcing Bianca to adhere to, and support his actions.

Kanye West vs Taylor Swift: The feud

VMAs 2009: Where it all started

While Kanye had said he would never return, nobody was surprised when he showed up at the VMAs in 2009, causing one of the most famous Scandals in pop culture History. That night, Beyoncé was nominated for multiple music video awards for Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), including the Best Female Video category, for which Taylor Swift was also nominated for for her music video You Belong with Me. Kanye, who was still grieving the loss of his mother, brought a bottle of Hennessy with him on the show. Taylor was announced the winner of the Best Female Video category, and had began her acceptance speech with, “Thank you so much!! I always dreamed about what it would be like to maybe win one of these someday, but I never thought it actually would have happened. I sing country music. So thank you so much for giving me the chance to win a VMA Award! I…”

Swift’s acceptance speech was, however, cut short when a drunk Kanye West rushed onto the stage, snatching the microphone from her to say, “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish. But Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!”

In the throes of the crowd’s booing, Beyoncé sat in disbelief while Swift, then only 19 years old, was left standing on the stage in shock. During the break, MTV escorted him out.

When West eventually sobered up, he issued a rather entertaining apology on his blog that read, “I’m sooooo sorry to taylor swift and her fans and her mom. I spoke to her mother right after and she said the same thing my mother would’ve said. She is very talented! I like the lyrics about being a cheerleader and she’s in the bleachers! i’m in the wrong for going on stage and taking away from her moment!. beyonce’s video was the best of this decade! I’m sorry to my fans if I let you guys down! I’m sorry to my friends at mtv. I will apologize to taylor 2mrw. welcome to the real world! everybody wanna booooo me but i’m a fan of real pop culture! No disrespect but we watchin’ the show at the crib right now cause … well you know! i’m still happy for taylor! Boooyaaawwww! you are very very talented! I gave my awards to outkast when they deserved it over me… that’s what it is!! i’m not crazy yall, i’m just real. Sorry for that! I really feel bad for taylor and i’m sincerely sorry! Much respect!!”

Old habits die hard

When Beck received the award for Album Of The Year at the 2015 Grammy awards, Kanye thought it would be a good idea to interrupt his acceptance speech yet again. Thankfully, he came to his senses in time and got off the stage. But that doesn’t mean that he did not do any more damage. Even though the audience thought it was a joke and laughed it off, he went on to clarify that it wasn’t the case. West said “Beck needs to respect artistry” and that Beck “should have given his award to Beyoncé.”

VMAs 2015: Calm before the storm

Kanye won the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the VMAs 2015, and Taylor presented him with the award after reconciling and putting their differences to rest. Swift began with a good-natured quip, sharing, “I first met Kanye West six years ago — at this show, actually! It seemed like everyone in the world knew about our infamous encounter at the VMAs. But something that you may not know is that Kanye West’s album College Dropout was the very first album my brother and I bought on iTunes when I was 12 years old. I have been a fan of his for as long as I can remember because Kanye defines what it means to be a creative force in music, fashion and, well, life. So I guess I have to say to all the other winners tonight: I’m really happy for you, and I’mma let you finish, but Kanye West has had one of the greatest careers of all time!”

However, West’s acceptance speech turned into a long-rant and an MTV diss, in which he said, “Y’all might be thinking right now, ‘I wonder… did he smoke something before he came out here?’ And the answer is: Yes, I rolled up a little something. I knocked the edge off.” And to close off his awkward acceptance speech, West declared “I have decided in 2020 to run for president.” And so he did. In 2020, West ran as a candidate for his new political party, which was named the “Birthday Party.”

He did not win.

Kanye made Taylor famous???

In 2016, Kanye dropped his album The Life of Pablo, and with it came the song Famous in which he sang, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b–tch famous.” An understandably frustrated Swift and her legal team started protesting against the song. Gigi Hadid, Karlie Kloss, and other members of Swift’s squad protested against the song, and West earned significant backlash from Swifties.

thanK you aIMee

West’s then-wife Kim sided with him and said, “She totally knew that that was coming out. She wanted to all of a sudden act like she didn’t. I swear, my husband gets so much sh–t for things [when] he really was doing proper protocol and even called to get it approved.” Taylor’s spokesperson issued a statement that, “Taylor does not hold anything against Kim Kardashian as she recognises the pressure Kim must be under and that she is only repeating what she has been told by Kanye West. However, that does not change the fact that much of what Kim is saying is incorrect. Kanye West and Taylor only spoke once on the phone while she was on vacation with her family in January of 2016 and they have never spoken since. Taylor has never denied that conversation took place. It was on that phone call that Kanye West also asked her to release the song on her Twitter account, which she declined to do.”

During all this drama, West released a disturbing music video that showed wax figures of Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, George W. Bush, Donald Trump, Anna Wintour, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Ray J, Amber Rose, Caitlyn Jenner, and Bill Cosby all sleeping together naked. During an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kim went on to explain the situation in detail to her sister Kourtney. After the episode aired, she released a supposedly unedited video footage of the phone call between Taylor and Kanye. While Kanye was shown reading some lyrics to Swift, they were not the lyrics that ended up being used on the track.

Taylor’s rep then expressed to the media that “Taylor was never made aware of the actual lyrics, ‘I made that bitch famous.'” Swift took to Instagram to point out she wasn’t aware of the actual lyrics and that she had never heard the song before, so it was impossible for her to approve something she didn’t even know. Afterwards, Kim posted about a made-up holiday “National Snake Day,” which was directed as a jab to Taylor Swift. The internet sided with Kim and Kanye, leading to the #KimExposedTaylorParty started trending.

#deluluisthesolulu

Some of Taylor Swift’s A-lister friends posted on social media in support of her, but Kanye West claimed victory in that situation, saying, “And can’t nobody talk sh–t about Ye no more!” at Drake’s concert, which he crashed. In the meantime, an earlier and more controversial version of the song came to light, in which he rapped, “I feel like Taylor Swift still owe me sex / I made that b–tch famous“.

Look what you made her do

A completely distressed Taylor went on hiatus and completely distanced herself from the spotlight. Almost a year after this incident, Taylor announced her sixth studio album Reputation, claiming the serpent that had been used to paint her as a liar as the imagery of her new album. Reputation is full of references to Ye and his wife Kim. The songs Look What You Made Me Do and This Is Why Can’t Have Nice Things take direct aim at the couple. In 2019, Swift told Elle that the ‘hate campaign’ had hurt her deeply, sharing, “I learned that disarming someone’s petty bullying can be as simple as learning to laugh.”

In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2019, Taylor shared her side of the story. She talked about how she had looked up to West and wanted to gain respect in his eyes. But after the song Famous was released, Swift was done with him, sharing, “When I heard the song, I was like, ‘I’m done with this. If you want to be on bad terms, let’s be on bad terms, but just be real about it.’ “

Karma’s gonna track you down

Four years after the whole ‘famous’ drama and Kim’s (definitely edited) phone call footage first appeared, an extended version of the full illegally-recorded phone call was leaked online. In the video, Kanye tells Swift that he wrote a “very controversial line” about her in the song, and that his then-wife Kim thought it was “too crazy” at first, but then came around. “It’s like my wife’s favourite f–cking line,” he added. West then read the lyrics out aloud, “So it says, ‘To all my Southside n–ggas that know me best / I feel like Taylor Swift might owe me sex,” to which Taylor replied, “That’s not mean.”

“I’m going to send you the song and send you the exact wording and everything about it, right? And then we could sit and talk through it,” West said. But it was clear through the video that she never actually heard the actual lyrics that ended up in the song. In addressing the new leak, Taylor took to Instagram to share her side, saying, “Instead of answering those who are asking how I feel about the video footage that leaked, proving that I was telling the truth the whole time about *that call* (you know, the one that was illegally recorded, that somebody edited and manipulated in order to frame me and put me, my family and fans through hell for 4 years)… SWIPE UP to see what really matters.”

Kim Kardashian then took to X to share her view, writing, “To be clear, the only issue I ever had around the situation was that Taylor lied through her publicist who stated that “Kanye never called to ask for permission…” They clearly spoke so I let you all see that. Nobody ever denied the word “bitch” was used without her permission.” (Alexa play, What Do You Mean by Justin Bieber).

In 2023, Taylor was named Time Magazine’s Person of The Year for the second time. During the interview, she recalled the whole incident as a “career death” and said, “Make no mistake — my career was taken away from me.”

I think I’ve seen this film before

In Kanye West’s new song Carnival, he once again name-drops Taylor Swift. This time, West he raps, “Like a ventriloquist / I made six Taylor Swift”. Swifties quickly began to deride his behaviour, calling out how he once again used her name to gain more clout and attention. Taylor and her team have not responded to the song.

However, in her latest album The Tortured Poets Department, Swift wrote a called thanK you aIMee that allegedly takes aim at West’s ex-wife Kim. Many also believe the song Cassandra is about her feud with Kim-Kanye.

Is there a reason behind Kanye’s obnoxious behaviour?

No matter how talented of an artist West proves to be, there’s no denying that he is one of the most controversial individuals in Hollywood history. The same is true even for fans, who find it difficult to explain his behaviour. It is evident that Kanye’s public rants and the way he treated Taylor were reprehensible. But, is he simply a person without conscience, or is there more to the story?

West has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which can cause a person to have euphoric highs and devastating lows. Many people believe that his diagnosis is the cause of his manic behaviour, anti-semitic posts, and rambling appearances. However, West appears to have had a difficult time embracing the facts. Kim herself has reflected on how she felt ‘powerless’ in trying to help him.

Unfortunately, Ye isn’t the only celebrity dealing with this mental health issue. Other celebrities who have discussed their bipolar disorder diagnoses include Selena Gomez, Halsey, and Mariah Carey.

Taylor Swift vs Kanye West: A quick count

American Music Awards
Taylor Swift: 40         vs           Kanye West: 3

Billboard Music Awards
Taylor Swift: 39          vs             Kanye West:18

Grammy Awards
Taylor Swift: 14              vs               Kanye West: 24

No 1 albums
Taylor Swift: 15              vs             Kanye West: 11

No 1 songs
Taylor Swift: 12             vs           Kanye West: 5

Monthly listeners on Spotify
Taylor Swift: 115M        vs        Kanye West:70M

Net worth
Taylor Swift: USD 1.1 B           vs      Kanye West: USD 400M

(Main and featured image: Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– What happened between Taylor Swift and Kanye West?

Kanye West ran up on the VMA stage in 2009 when Taylor Swift won Best Female Video of the Year and declared Beyoncé should’ve won instead. After that, he called her “a b*tch” in the song “Famous” which cemented their animosity towards each other forever.

– Is Taylor Swift worth more than Kanye West?

Yes, Taylor Swift is currently a billionaire with a net worth of USD 1.1 billion and Kanye West is now worth around USD 400 million.

– Did Kanye West ever apologize to Taylor Swift?

After the VMA incident, Kanye wrote a hilarious apology message in his blog.

– Did Kanye West make Taylor Swift more famous?

Not really, Taylor Swift is currently the biggest pop star in the world on her own merit.