Quincy Jones has slammed Taylor Swift’s music, describing her tracks as “hooks” rather than songs.
The legendary producer is responsible for crafting iconic records such as Michael Jackson’s trio of albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad, earning him numerous Grammy Awards over the years.
In a new interview with American GQ magazine, Quincy heaped praise on artists including Kendrick Lamar, Bruno Mars, Drake, Mary J. Blige, and Jennifer Hudson when asked about his thoughts on the state of the music industry today – but also revealed that he isn’t a fan of Taylor’s tunes.
“We need more songs, man. Fucking songs, not hooks,” he told the publication.
The 84-year-old went on to explain that he believes the Shake It Off hitmaker needs to work harder on her songwriting.
“It takes work, man. The only place you find success before work is the dictionary, and that’s alphabetical. (If I was producing her record, I’d) figure something out,” he continued. “Man, the song is the s**t – that’s what people don’t realise.
“A great song can make the worst singer in the world a star. A bad song can’t be saved by the three best singers in the world. I learned that 50 years ago.”
Quincy, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, also claimed that fans of Taylor, who has sold 31.4 million albums in the United States, “don’t know” great songs, and also went on to describe his similar lack of admiration for Elvis Presley.
“Yeah, motherfucker couldn’t sing,” he added.
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