Jack White Mocks Lukewarm Review of 'Elephant' on Album's 20th Anniversary

"A round of applause to all music fans who ignore the cynical contrarians and love what strikes a chord in your heart"

Photo: Fabio Venni

BY Alex HudsonPublished Apr 3, 2023

The White Stripes' fourth album, 2003's Elephant, is generally accepted as a classic, containing many of the best songs of Jack White's career. The album turned 20 this weekend (April 1), and to mark the occasion, White took the time to mock a lukewarm review of the album.

On Instagram, White posted a screenshot of a 6.9/10 review from Pitchfork, adding a snarky comment that the website has been "serving up support for the arts and artists since ninety ninety who gives a shit."

Rather than simply dissing the slightly middling review, White used the opportunity to thank the fans who had supported the album in the 20 years since. He wrote, "Happy 20th anniversary to all the Stripes fans out there today and a round of applause to all music fans who ignore the cynical contrarians and love what strikes a chord in your heart. This record was for you! Love and respect to you."

Supportive emoji reactions were posted by the Black Keys' Patrick Carney (who previously feuded with White) and Olivia Rodrigo (who has called White her "hero"). See the post below.

The White Stripes recently reissued the album for its 20th anniversary. See Exclaim!'s ranking of the 20 best Jack White songs to find out which Elephant tracks made the cut.
 

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