Taylor Swift just one-upped Kanye West in a way that’s sure to sting his infamously over-inflated ego.
For years, Kanye’s lyrics have taken shots at Taylor. So did one of his creepiest music videos.
They say that success is the best revenge. If so, Taylor is clearly on the right track.
Taylor didn’t have to take action to dethrone Ye. Kanye is, as always, his own worst enemy.
Taylor Swift performs during her concert as part of The Eras Tour at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam, on July 4, 2024. (Photo Credit: ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
Kanye West just broke a long-running streak
Until very recently, Kanye West was enjoying a streak of albums that each went No. 1.
For whatever reason, people keep listening to Ye’s music. However, things have dropped off lately. One has to wonder if Kanye’s Hitler era could be a factor.
The latest Kanye West album is Vultures 2. It did not hit the No. 1 spot … breaking his previous 11-album streak. Womp womp.
Kanye West attends the Anonymous Club fashion show during Berlin Fashion Week SS25 at Tempodrom on July 1, 2024. (Photo Credit: Matthias Nareyek/Getty Images)
While Kanye West experiences this well-deserved setback, Taylor Swift is on top of the world.
We don’t just mean the fact that she recently attained billionaire status. Or the fact that her Eras World Tour is a smashing success.
Taylor’s most recent album, The Tortured Poets Department, is in the No. 1 spot. It is the reason why Kanye’s album broke his streak of somewhat inexplicable successes.
Taylor Swift performs onstage during “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at Johan Cruijff Arena on July 04, 2024. (Photo Credit: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
Kanye has plagued Taylor Swift for years
In 2009, Kanye West infamously barged onto the stage at the VMAs, stealing her moment when she was a much younger star. His brazen clownery trended on Twitter at the time, which was a very new phenomenon in 2009.
Since then, Ye has continued to be deeply weird about Taylor and her success.
His lyrics claimed that he had “made that bitch famous.” Relatedly, Ye’s then-wife Kim Kardashian covertly recorded Taylor and then shared a conspicuously edited version of the call to attempt to take down Taylor. And, for a while, it worked.
Kanye West attends the Balenciaga Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on October 02, 2022. (Photo Credit: Jacopo M. Raule/Getty Images For Balenciaga)
In politics, in pop culture, and in everyday life, the world is full of stories of men who become deeply weird about a woman. Whether it’s a crush or insecurities or misogyny or some sick combination of the three, he can’t seem to leave her alone.
Now, Taylor’s success is inescapable. Seriously — you cannot escape it. Many of us are even learning about football against our will because of her boyfriend.
As for Kanye? Well, clearly a lot of people listened to Vultures 2. Just not as many as he might hope or expect. That he lost to Taylor Swift is, of course, just frosting on the cake.
Taylor Swift performs onstage during “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at Johan Cruijff Arena on July 05, 2024. (Photo Credit: Aldara Zarraoa/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
Is this the end of an era for Ye?
In recent years, Kanye West has alienated countless fans with his gleeful antisemitism alongside a host of adjacent stances, rants, and behaviors. At the same time, he has cemented himself as an antagonist in the minds of his existing detractors.
Obviously, the “separate the art from the artist” folks might listen to his music no matter what. If they also happen to like his music, anyway. But he’s certainly driven away more fans than he’s attracted.
It’s possible that Kanye could (likely with psychiatric help) remedy his behavior, do an apology tour, and restore his image. But it seems unlikely that he’s going to do that of his own volition any time soon. Perhaps his music falling out of favor will be the wakeup call that he needs — eventually.
Taylor Swift Obliterates Kanye West’s No. 1 Streak was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.