Taylor Swift-Kanye West feud: With rapper's 'Donda' not releasing, fans wonder if 'Folklore' is a revenge album
Kanye West promised fans that his album 'Donda: With Child' would drop on July 24. Unfortunately, the album has still not made its way to any online streaming platform. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift, evidently channeling Beyoncé, dropped a surprise album titled 'Folklore' without having dropped any single prior to its release. While there was no promotion, the album is well on its way to success. However, some are now wondering if Swift made a deliberate choice to drop her album right before West's and if this was the reason West did not drop 'Donda'.
West and Swift's infamous feud began when he interrupted her as she was accepting the award for 'Best Female Video' during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, declaring the award belonged to Beyoncé instead. The pair seemingly buried the hatchet in the following years, but things turned ugly again after West's song 'Famous' called Swift a 'b**ch' and took credit for her fame. Several rounds of back and forth later, the bad blood remains. The feud has only been further intensified by the two artistes' respective fandoms going head-to-head each time either star drops a new project. Except this time around, their respective albums were set to drop on the exact same date, but it appears only one of them made it through.
Given that Swift successfully launched a secret album while West's promised record is nowhere to be found, it's a no-brainer that the two fandoms would once again clash on what went down. And according to Swift's fans, what really happened was West backing down out of fear.
Swift's surprise drop came via social media, with the singer sharing that 'Folklore' was filled with songs she poured all of her "whims, dreams, fears, and musings into". In a separate post, Swift also shared a prologue of sorts for the release that discussed the thought process behind the album. "It started with imagery. Visuals that popped into my mind and piqued my curiosity," her letter began, detailing all the bits of imagery that came together to form the album. The letter continued: "A tale that becomes folklore is one that is passed down and whispered around. Sometimes even sung about. The lines between fantasy and reality blur and the boundaries between truth and fiction become almost indiscernible. Speculation, over time, becomes fact. Myths, ghost stories, and fables. Fairytales and parables. Gossip and legend. Someone’s secrets written in the sky for all to behold."
Fans are already declaring that the album is among Swift's finest work. One fan shared "By far, Folklore is your most thoughtful and riveting record. I love how self-aware you are in this record. Exile is just too good. What a way to tear a heart apart. Congratulations, Taylor. For this wonderful album and for giving me a good cry."
But not everyone is happy the album dropped right before West's was meant to. One user, addressing West, stated, "Kanye gotta get off the juice and disrespect tf outta Taylor Swift one more time. For the people." Swift's fans, on the other hand, thought she was trying to get 'revenge' on West. One tweet read, "Few virtues I respect/despise more in a person than pure pettiness. Hoping Taylor comes through with every new announced Kanye release just to keep f*cking with him."
Soon, both camps were coming for the other artiste's album. One Swift fan noted, "The only people I see hating on Folklore are Kanye stans and people who choose to hate Taylor for no reason." West fans, on the other hand, mused, "Taylor stans think Ye didn't drop because of her? Do they just not know anything about Kanye orrr?" With 'Donda' now delayed, some fans are declaring that Swift 'won' this round. One tweet read, "Taylor V Kanye beef was settled tonight with a firm win for Taylor in the long game." Others thought Swift's actions were low, stating, "Taylor Swift dropped an album on the anniversary of Kanye's mother’s death and dropped an album on the same day as him when it’s dedicated to his own mother. That’s not a coincidence; she’s just shallow."
