Artist vs. Artist: How Their Music Conjugates The Mass
- Amelie
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Is this music or modern-day melodrama? Our Music writer, Amelie, unpacks how music connects people across the world, yet sometimes tears them apart.
With its ability to provoke emotions, build connections and influence cultural identities, music is a universal language. It transcends cultural and language barriers in a way that’s able to unite us all. We may not be able to understand the language used, but we can understand the rhythm. The beats. The melody.
Perhaps the global rise of K-pop perfectly illustrates this. Many K-pop artists have amassed massive international following, with countless fans who don’t even speak a word of Korean. It’s intriguing how so many are initially drawn in purely by the sound of the song itself.
Music is subjective. Our interpretations of every song will differ from everyone else, based on our own experiences and personal feelings. Yet, despite the individual understandings, we’re still able to come together and share our love for the song. Well, at least most of the time.
Because, as we all know, music can also divide people. Especially with the rise of social media, certain artists have gained such a massive presence in the music industry that any song they release can spark controversy, even if it’s not their intention to do so.
Rodrigo vs Carpenter for… Joshua Bassett?
On January 8th 2021, the love triangle rumor of the century involving two of our biggest pop stars, Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter, and actor Joshua Bassett appeared. It all started when Olivia Rodrigo dropped her debut single "Driver’s License", which caused a huge stir between Rodrigo’s and Sabrina Carpenter’s fans, as many fans interpreted the lines: “And you're probably with that blonde girl/Who always made me doubt/She's so much older than me/She's everything I'm insecure about” as a callout to Sabrina.
The ‘war’ between both fandoms only escalated when Carpenter released "Skin" on the 22nd of the same month, which everyone assumed to be a response to Rodrigo, as it included lines such as “Maybe you didn't mean it/Maybe blonde was the only rhyme” and “You can try to get under my, under my, under my skin/While he's on mine, yeah, all on my, all on my, all on my skin”.
Though this feud has never been officially confirmed to this day, the fanbase wars are still prominent, proving just how much of an influence music has on people, especially with the way the media analyses every lyric.
Kendrick vs. Drake
A more recent example of this is the Kendrick Lamar versus Drake feud. To briefly summarise, this feud began in 2013 when Lamar dissed Drake among many rappers in the 2014 song "Control", but claimed his verse was only "friendly competition".
The dispute between the two escalated further on May 3rd 2024 when Drake released "Family Matters", in which he accused Lamar of domestic abuse and alleging that Dave Free, Lamar’s music producer, was the biological father of Lamar’s son. Shortly after, Lamar fired back with "Meet The Grahams", taking the Internet by storm as he accused Drake of sexual predation, fabricating details about his family, and secretly fathering a second child. The next day, Lamar released "Not Like Us", doubling down on his accusations and labeling Drake a pedophile. The impact of these diss tracks was immense, separating the Internet into “Team Kendrick” or “Team Drake”.
For artists, the music they put out is the quickest way to rally their fans against someone, be that another artist, a former friend, or the easiest target of them all… ex romantic partner.
Taylor Swift vs… All her exes
Whether or not you enjoy her music, it’s indisputable that Taylor Swift is one of the most influential female pop artists today. One of the main criticisms she faces is that “she only writes about her exes”. While that’s not entirely true, it cannot be denied that some of her songs appear to target certain individuals. For instance "Dear John", though never confirmed by Swift herself, is widely believed to have been inspired by singer-songwriter John Mayer, with whom she had aa short-lived relationship. In a 2012 Rolling Stone interview, Mayer claimed that the song "humiliated" him and insulted it as "cheap songwriting".
Another notable song is “All Too Well”, which many fans assume was written about Jake Gyllenhaal.
Although Gyllenhaal himself has never offered any response, 'Swifties were swift to rally online, spreading harsh comments directed at him. Other songs like "Style” (seemingly about Harry Styles), and "Getaway Car" (rumored to be about Tom Hiddleston), have also fueled speculation, as her loyal fans would flock to social media platforms to bash whichever ex they thought she was singing about.
All of this really begs the question: is Swift intentionally weaponising the influence she has over her fans by using her songs to turn the Internet against her ex-lovers? After all, her songs present only her perspective of each relationship, and the media might take a certain lyric in a completely wrong way, leading to the unnecessary bashing of someone who may be innocent.
As we all know by now: songs are no longer just entertainment. They’ve become powerful tools for artists to share personal stories or to stir up a whirlwind on the Internet. While it can be entertaining to get caught up in the drama between artists, it’s worth remembering what music is truly for. It is to unite us, not divide us.
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