During the past decade, perhaps nobody in pop music was bigger than Taylor Swift. Some might call her the most influential artist in pop, but Swift has her own pick for that distinction, and it’s Lana Del Rey.
Swift spoke about her admiration for Del Rey while accepting the Woman Of The Decade honor at the Billboard Music Awards last night, saying:
“I’ve watched as one of my favorite artists of the decade, Lana Del Rey, […] was ruthlessly criticized early in her career, and then slowly but surely, she turned into, in my opinion, the most influential artist in pop. Her vocal stylings, her lyrics, her aesthetics: they’ve been echoed and repurposed everywhere in music. And this year, her incredible album is nominated for Album Of The Year at the Grammys, because she just kept making art. And that example should inspire all of us, that the only way forward is forward motion, that we shouldn’t let obstacles like criticism slow down the creative forces that drive us.”
She went on to share an expansive list of other young female artists she admires, including Lizzo, Billie Eilish, King Princess, and a bunch of others: “And I see that fire in the newer faces in our music industry whose work I absolutely love. I see it Lizzo, Rosalía, Tayla Parx, Hayley Kiyoko, King Princess, Camila Cabello, Halsey, Megan Thee Stallion, Princess Nokia, Nina Nesbitt, Sigrid, Normani, HER, Maggie Rogers, Becky G, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai, Billie Eilish, and so many other amazing women who are making music right now.”
This 15-minute speech was the same one during which Swift went after Scooter Braun and accused his supporters of showing “the definition of white male privilege in our industry.”
Watch Swift’s speech below, with her comments about Del Rey beginning at around 6:06 into the video.
Some artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. .
