Everyone interested in the music industry is likely familiar with one fact: there is no love lost between Taylor Swift and Kanye West (and their feud can be traced back to September 2009 when West rudely interrupted Swift onstage at the MTV Video Music Awards). With this in mind, you do not want to compare the two artists without it seeming like an obvious diss, but Zach Bryan didn’t get that memo!
The country music star has angered Swifties everywhere after he made a post on X earlier this week, claiming West was superior. “eagles > chiefs, Kanye > Taylor, who’s with me,” he wrote. He then attempted to do some damage control with a follow-up tweet (spoiler alert: no one was buying his explanation).
“Guys I love Taylor, was listening to TTPD [The Tortured Poets Department] last night and ‘thanK you aIMee’ came on and I drunkenly tweeted that about Kanye,” he wrote. “If anyone took it serious please know I love both artists a lot and think we’re in a really beautiful time of music.”
When that didn’t work, Bryan deactivated his account on X. But he still has Instagram and decided to use the platform to share his thoughts. Rather than create a post, he opted for the temporary Instagram Story option (perhaps he anticipated the feedback he would receive).
Zach Bryan tries to apologize for his apparent Taylor Swift diss
Zach Bryan took to his Instagram Story to backpedal on some comments he made the other night, insisting he wasn’t trying to throw shade at Taylor Swift. He claimed it was just a tipsy mishap while comparing albums, and somehow, only the negatives about Ye slipped out—purely about the music, of course. He also threw in a little praise for Taylor’s tunes, hoping to smooth things over. Bryan admitted he’s no stranger to tweeting nonsense and suggested maybe it’s time he took a Twitter break—probably for the best, right? He wrapped up with an apology to Taylor’s fans, just in case he ruffled any feathers. A classic “oops” moment, trying to keep everyone happy.
In a second post, he acknowledged that his comparison came off as “rude” and admitted to dealing with personal struggles. “I’ve been going through a hard time in my own life, and I think I was projecting a little,” he wrote. He also claimed he respects Swift as a musician and appreciates “what she has done for music.” His takeaway is simple: “Don’t drink and tweet.”
Bryan’s apology appears to be heartfelt (and lengthy). He praised Swift and the impact she has had on the industry. He was concerned that people felt he had “malice or meanness” and tried to explain himself. Again, he let fans know he has been dealing with personal issues behind the scenes.
He finished off by saying that this year really knocked him around in personal ways nobody knows about, and he’s been scrambling to cope and juggle way too much. So, he’s going to step back from firing off dumb tweets, wrap up his tour, and try to find some solid ground in all this chaos.
The Instagram Story feature makes it impossible for us to see the feedback that Bryan has been getting. Still, his latest post has been flooded with angry messages from fans who are furious over his apparent Taylor Swift diss and his support for Kanye West, a controversial figure who has made horrific comments, including anti-Semitic remarks, in the past.
Reactions include “Taylor Swift > Zach Bryan,” “So disappointed! Why all these successful men trying to bring down successful women,” and “You really screwed up @zachlanebryan with that tweet. And don’t say it was joke. We all know it wasn’t.” Some fans have also highlighted that their issue is less about Byran choosing West over Swift, and more about him promoting the rapper at all! “it’s not even that i like taylor, it’s the fact that you really openly supported a n@zi,” a comment reads.