"I'm not really a fan of Taylor Swift" — Sonic Youth singer Kim Gordon says she would choose Billie Eilish as a pop icon

On July 17, 2024, Kim Gordon made waves by expressing her preference for modern pop sensation Billie Eilish over global superstar Taylor Swift in an interview with The Guardian. Gordon candidly shared that she could not distinguish Swift's music and indicated a lack of preference for her work —

"I don't know if it's controversial but I'm not really a fan of Taylor Swift. I couldn't tell you what her music sounded like, actually," Gordon said.

Kim Gordon is an American musician, visual artist, and actress, best known as a founding member of the alternative rock band Sonic Youth. Some of her major hits include Tunic (Song for Karen), Bull in the Heather, I Love You Golden Blue, and Kool Thing.

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Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon Chooses Billie Eilish Over Taylor Swift

Gordon at the 29th Annual Rock & Roll Ceremony (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

On Wednesday, during an interview, Kim Gordon was asked to share her most controversial pop culture opinion, to which she suggested that she is not particularly fond of Taylor Swift and further indicated that if, specifically, pop icons are a concern, she would instead "choose" Billie Eilish —

"When it comes to pop icons, I would choose Billie Eilish," Gordon said.

Moreover, the article inquired about who influenced her to be a singer, to which Kim Gordon suggested that she never actually thought of becoming a musician, but in her teens, she listened to Billie Holiday and Joni Mitchell —

"I never aspired to be a musician, so in that way, no. As a teenager, I listened to Billie Holiday and Joni Mitchell, but I never actually thought it was possible to become a musician," Gordon said.

Kim Gordon added that her influences include Lucio Fontana, Yves Klein, and Andy Warhol. However, she also mentioned that she had never formally studied music —

"I didn't study or know anything about music. There are certainly artists, but not necessarily female artists, who I was influenced by – artists like Lucio Fontana or Yves Klein, even Andy Warhol," Gordon added.

This is not the first time an artist has expressed a lack of fondness for Taylor Swift and her work. Most recently, in April 2024, American singer and guitarist Courtney Love suggested in an interview with The Standard that Taylor Swift is "not important."

During a candid interview, Courtney Love said that Taylor Swift is not an exciting artist. Love further noted that Swift might be the "safe place" for girls or maybe the new era's Madonna, but she is not fond of her work —

"Taylor is not important. She might be a safe space for girls, and she's probably the Madonna of now, but she's not interesting as an artist," Love said.

Taylor Swift has not responded to either of the remarks. However, Kim Gordon's interview came the day before she began her The Collective Tour.

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A brief to Kim Gordon's new album The Collective and 2024 Tour

Gordon released her standalone single, ECRP, on June 25, 2024, directed by Coco Gordon Moore. Moreover, she released her second solo album, The Collective, on March 8, 2024, through Matador Records. At Mistletone, speaking about her album, the artist suggested that in this album she wanted to express the "absolute craziness" she felt around herself —

"On this record, I wanted to express the absolute craziness I feel around me right now. This is a moment when nobody really knows what truth is, when facts don't necessarily sway people, when everyone has their own side, creating a general sense of paranoia," Gordon added.

The album is partly inspired by the novel The Candy House by Jennifer Eagan and has been produced by Justin Raisen. The solo album has eleven tracks: BYE BYE, The Candy House, I Don't Miss My Mind, and I'm A Man are a few among others. The Collective Tour 2024, which started on March 21, 2024, in Burlington, Vermont, will end on November 17, 2024, in Mexico.