Damon Albarn has apologised to Taylor Swift 'unreservedly and unconditionally'.
The Blur frontman, 53, incurred the wrath of the Lover hitmaker, 32, by downplaying her songwriting ability in a recent interview.
But after she called him out for his remarks, the singer insisted he never wanted to 'discredit' her and suggested his comments had been sensationalised to attract attention.
Statement: Damon Albarn has apologised to Taylor Swift (pictured) 'unreservedly and unconditionally'
Taylor retweeted a Los Angeles Times piece about Damon's interview which read: 'Albarn also spills his thoughts on some of today's chart-topping music artists.
'Billie Eilish? I think she's exceptional.'
'Taylor Swift? She doesn't write her own songs.'
She then wrote: 'I was such a big fan of yours until I saw this. I write ALL of my own songs. Your hot take is completely false and SO damaging.
Candid: The Blur frontman, 53, incurred the wrath of the Lover hitmaker, 32, by downplaying her songwriting ability in a recent interview
Apology: But after she called him out for his remarks, the singer insisted he never wanted to 'discredit' her and suggested his comments had been sensationalised to attract attention
'You don't have to like my songs but it's really f****d up to try and discredit my writing. WOW.
'PS I wrote this tweet all by myself in case you were wondering.'
Damon replied: 'I totally agree with you. I had a conversation about songwriting and sadly it was reduced to clickbait. I apologise unreservedly and unconditionally. The last thing I would want to do is discredit your songwriting. I hope you understand. - Damon'.
In the interview, the Parklife singer insisted he wasn't 'hating' on Taylor but suggested collaborating with other songwriters was 'very different' to taking sole responsibility for her work.
He said: 'She doesn't write her own songs. Co-writing is very different to writing. I'm not hating on anybody, I'm just saying there's a big difference between a songwriter and a songwriter who co-writes.'
Firing back: Taylor retweeted a Los Angeles Times piece about Damon's interview which read: 'Albarn also spills his thoughts on some of today's chart-topping music artists'
Damon went on to praise Billie Eilish, who writes her songs with her brother, Finneas.
He added: 'A really interesting songwriter is Billie Eilish and her brother. I'm more attracted to that than to Taylor Swift. It's just darker - less endlessly upbeat. Way more minor and odd. I think she's exceptional.'
Damon - who has written all his own songs as a solo artist and for bands Blur and Gorillaz - has claimed his comment had been 'taken out of context and used as clickbait.
The British musician praised Billie Eilish as a 'really interesting songwriter' and her brother Finneas O'Connell.
'I'm more attracted to that than to Taylor Swift. It's just darker — less endlessly upbeat,' he said of the Bad Guy hitmaker.
Taylor wrote: 'I was such a big fan of yours until I saw this. 'I write all of my own songs. Your hot take is completely false and so damaging. You don't have to like my songs but it's really f**ked up to try and discredit my writing. Wow'
Opinion: In the interview, Damon said he wasn't 'hating' on Taylor but suggested collaborating with other songwriters was 'very different' to taking sole responsibility for her work
Although Billie and Taylor have yet to collaborate, the women have been seen hugging at events and cheered each other during their respective 2021 Grammy Awards performances.
In 2019, Billie thanked Taylor for 'taking care of her' and breaking barriers as a woman in the music industry while accepting Billboard's woman of the year award.
Ultimately, Taylor said she, Lana Del Rey, Billie, and Lizzo and other female musicians 'could've' been crushed by the pressure, but it made them diamonds.
Record producer and songwriter Jack Antonoff, who has worked with Taylor for seven years, jumped to her defense just minutes after she tweeted.
'If you were there ... cool ... go off. if not ... maybe ... shut the f**k up? the 37-year-old songwriter fired on his own Twitter.
