Radio presenter Ken Bruce has sparked backlash for his remarks about Taylor Swift.
The former BBC Radio 2 presenter, who now hosts a show on Greatest Hits radio, made the comments in a recent interview with The Mail On Sunday.
“All her songs are the same,” he claimed. “I’ll play her on my station when she writes something that isn’t about her ex-boyfriends.” He went on to say that “great radio songs have three beats and then they’re straight into the song, not these long intros that she does.”
Bruce also remarked that Swift may not appeal to his listeners anyways, as “we’re a 70s, 80s and 90s radio show as our core audience is older.” He added that “we do early noughties and 2010s, not very many but we expect people to know things from recent and current music – only the biggest names, though.”
The comments have sparked fury amongst Swifties online, with one commenter writing: “Tell me you’ve never actually given her music a chance without telling me. men are so quick to parrot that talking point. News flash, men write about their relationships just as much. Grow up.”
Meanwhile, another X user wrote: “Bit disappointed – could’ve just said that the radio station is for older music.” However, they also went on to recommend the song ‘Marjorie’ from ‘evermore‘, adding: “Get the tissues at the ready”. See some more reactions below:
“i’ve never actually given her storytelling a chance but i’ll regurgitate the same misogyny she’s faced for 18 years”
— the bridge of my tears ricochet (@PsychicCancer) June 30, 2024
Tell me you’ve never actually given her music a chance without telling me 😂 men are so quick to parrot that talking point. News flash, men write about their relationships just as much. Grow up.
— Tortured Paiges Dept: NYC on 4.19.24 (@blueafswiftie) June 30, 2024
Bit disappointed – could’ve just said that the radio station is for older music 😭 but for a recommendation Ken listen to Marjorie, and get the tissues at the ready.
— Orla 👸🏼 (@orlah99) June 30, 2024
Leave it to an old white man to be completely out of touch….. shocker
— Metaphysical AF | HQ (@metaphysical_af) June 30, 2024
I Did Something Bad, Who’s afraid of little old me, Florida, Clara Bow, Nothing New, mirrorball, seven, the lakes, marjorie, it’s time to go, closure, long story short, Anti-Hero, Vigilante Shit, Look what you made me do, The Man, Bad Blood, You’re on your own Kid, Karma, Mean…
— whenallthestarsaligned (@peanutb44027597) June 30, 2024
Taylor Swift has recently reflected on pulling a hilltop crowd of 50,000 outside of her Eras Tour in Munich, describing it as a “magical experience”.
In an Instagram post, she wrote: “I had no idea before I got to Munich that there’s a huge park behind the stadium, but around 50,000 people came out and listened to the show from the hillside both nights.
“I’ve been watching so many videos of the crowds out there fully participating in the show from afar, all that joy.”
In a five-star review of her UK ‘Eras Tour’ opener in Edinburgh, NME wrote: “Despite being an arena show, in a huge, cavernous venue, Swift and her fans have managed to cultivate a community.
“Strangers swap friendship bracelets, laugh and cry together, and embrace the tour’s in-jokes and lore (for example shouting “one, two, three, let’s go bitch” during ‘Delicate’). It’s the power of Swift, an artist who’s inspired not only the renaming of a Scottish Loch, but also countless fans to come out and embrace being a part of the Eras family.
“With the ‘Eras Tour’, then, Swift’s managed to craft a marvel of a show that comes with a beating heart.”