Amid Damon Albarn's misguided commentary on Taylor Swift's songwriting — as well as the whole practice of co-writing (and clickbait) — and the pop star's decision to call him out for trying to discredit her craft, many of us were waiting with bated breath for Dolly Parton's thoughts on the matter — and naturally, she stands with Swift.
"I don't care what other people say about my songs, but with Taylor, she's a great writer — with or without anybody," Parton told Hollywood Life in a new interview, commending Swift's "magnificent" response to Albarn's attempt to drag her name through the mud — and she "completely get[s]" the need to defend one's work.
"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 fucked up to try and discredit my writing. WOW," Swift had tweeted at Albarn on Monday (January 24).
"I really get rubbed wrong sometimes when people mistreat the artist. I don't like that," Parton remarked of the incident. "I don't like to judge other people and their problems, but when all that stuff that happens — like with Britney Spears; when they get [wrapped up in] controversy like that — you have to kind of stand up for yourself," she said, having previously expressed support for Spears during her conservatorship battle.
"I think she's done great," the country legend praised Swift. She continued:
And that's one of the things I admire about her, because she's never sold herself. She's never felt like she's had to sell her body. She's always had good taste in how she's presented herself and with her songs. And she's very creative and very, very, very smart in the marketing of her life. She knows who she is and what she wants — and I'm the same way. I'm going to fight if it goes against what I feel is not right for me.
Of Albarn's deeply ironic (just check out the credits on pretty much every Gorillaz song) claims about collaborative songwriting not "counting," America's sweetheart insisted: "It's not true; when you co-write a song, you work just as hard. Sometimes you work harder with a co-writer because you want to be sure to do your part."
Parton doesn't tend to schedule a ton of co-writing sessions, though: "Rather than thinking about what I'm going to put on a record, I just write whatever is coming out right now," she explained, but she has nothing but respect for the practice. "There's a lot to be said about co-writing," the icon added — least of all that it "doesn't count."
And she should know: Parton is gearing up to release her first co-authored novel Run, Rose, Run alongside a companion album.
Recently, the Moderna hero also praised Lil Nas X for his "Jolene" cover.
"I don't care what other people say about my songs, but with Taylor, she's a great writer — with or without anybody," Parton told Hollywood Life in a new interview, commending Swift's "magnificent" response to Albarn's attempt to drag her name through the mud — and she "completely get[s]" the need to defend one's work.
"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 fucked up to try and discredit my writing. WOW," Swift had tweeted at Albarn on Monday (January 24).
"I really get rubbed wrong sometimes when people mistreat the artist. I don't like that," Parton remarked of the incident. "I don't like to judge other people and their problems, but when all that stuff that happens — like with Britney Spears; when they get [wrapped up in] controversy like that — you have to kind of stand up for yourself," she said, having previously expressed support for Spears during her conservatorship battle.
"I think she's done great," the country legend praised Swift. She continued:
And that's one of the things I admire about her, because she's never sold herself. She's never felt like she's had to sell her body. She's always had good taste in how she's presented herself and with her songs. And she's very creative and very, very, very smart in the marketing of her life. She knows who she is and what she wants — and I'm the same way. I'm going to fight if it goes against what I feel is not right for me.
Of Albarn's deeply ironic (just check out the credits on pretty much every Gorillaz song) claims about collaborative songwriting not "counting," America's sweetheart insisted: "It's not true; when you co-write a song, you work just as hard. Sometimes you work harder with a co-writer because you want to be sure to do your part."
Parton doesn't tend to schedule a ton of co-writing sessions, though: "Rather than thinking about what I'm going to put on a record, I just write whatever is coming out right now," she explained, but she has nothing but respect for the practice. "There's a lot to be said about co-writing," the icon added — least of all that it "doesn't count."
And she should know: Parton is gearing up to release her first co-authored novel Run, Rose, Run alongside a companion album.
Recently, the Moderna hero also praised Lil Nas X for his "Jolene" cover.
