Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant Questions Taylor Swift’s Icon Status, Calls Her Music ‘Disappointing’

Pet Shop Boys vocalist Neil Tennant shared his thoughts on Taylor Swift‘s musical legacy, drawing comparisons to Michael Jackson’s iconic status. 

While he acknowledged his admiration for much of Swift’s music, Tennant expressed his belief that she has yet to produce a standout single that can rival the star power of Jackson’s “Billie Jean.”

“Taylor Swift sort of fascinates me as a phenomenon because she’s so popular, and I sort of quite like the whole thing, but then when I listen to the records … for a phenomenon as big, where are the famous songs?” Tennant told a panel discussion organized by The Guardian in London. “What’s Taylor Swift’s ‘Billie Jean’?” 

While Tennant acknowledged Swift’s exceptional vocal abilities and the exquisite production of her music, he felt that, melodically, it lacked dynamism. “She’s got a great voice, and the production is beautiful,” he said. “But melodically, it’s almost restive. It’s all sung on one or two notes going up and down.”

In Tennant’s perspective, Swift’s ability to unite people and engage multi-generational audiences is commendable, noting how her Eras Tour shattered records. However, he expressed disappointment with the music, separate from the lyrical content. 

Tennant suggested that Swift’s immense popularity may be linked to a concept previously discussed by the Pet Shop Boys, an English synth-pop duo formed in 1981, in a February interview with The Guardian. They proposed that society, particularly in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, craves collective experiences that are increasingly becoming scarce. 

“I like the fact that it brings all these people together, but I think the one disappointing thing is the music, not the lyrics, the music,” he said.

Tennant’s critique follows the release of Swift’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, which achieved remarkable milestones upon its highly anticipated debut. The album shattered records and became the first to amass one billion streams on Spotify in a week, though it has received mostly negative reviews from critics.