With a career that spans over 6 decades, unforgettable hits, and over 150 million records sold, Billy Joel is not only one of the best-selling musicians of all time but also one of the most revered.
For those reasons and more, the icon’s thoughts on the current status of the music industry will always be headline-grabbing – especially as his fans anxiously await news on the long-awaited follow-up to his 2001 studio album ‘Fantasies & Delusions.’
However, a recent interview with our friends at ‘Variety’ has some music lovers wondering if he’s the one suffering from fantasies and delusions after he asserted today’s generation of stars don’t make albums anymore – except Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo.
Joel made it clear to ‘Variety‘ he doesn’t exactly have creating a new album on his to-do list, but apparently neither is listening to new music from others.
“Who makes albums anymore anyway?” asked the 75-year-old legend. “I think the only person making new albums these days is Taylor Swift or Olivia Rodrigo. I don’t know other people who make albums. I don’t know what the marketing of that is like now.”
While some perceived Billy’s statement as reference to the literal creation of full bodies of work or LPs (as many artists release EPs and mixtapes), others believed he was referring to quality projects.
Either way, the statement certainly got side eyes from fans of Beyonce, Adele, SZA, and others – many of whom rushed to social media to defend their faves.
See highlights below.
[photo courtesy: Getty/Variety/Twitter]
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Taylor is on course for her 9th week at number 1.
She’s in own league..
Considering Taylor literally buried all those other b*tches, Billy is basically right. The roach hive will just have to cry about it lol.
Chart positions have nothing to do with “making albums” . That’s why you Stan’s brain cells are so friend now. Clueless b******.
Lol keep crying about it. He said what he said.
He right though. Artists today are lame af. Taylor swift is boring too. We need some real talent.
Yep he’s right especially in rap u have 1 or 2 hit wonders an that it no more 5 or 6 good songs on album u lucky to get 2
Obviously the man’s opinion is pertinent. Saying that it isn’t would be a pathetic attempt at acting like yall know something he don’t. He made a generalized statement people. How many yall actually know enough about making music to pick apart what any artist specifically says anyway? JS
I hate when men in the music industry say things like that. It berates the many other talented, authentic, money making, award winning artists producing great music.