Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift’s feud remains one of the most talked-about chapters in modern pop culture, a clash that reshaped narratives, fandoms and even music itself. What began as an awkward awards
show moment eventually snowballed into a full-blown public fallout that defined an era and still sparks debate years later.
Nearly a decade later, the tone around the feud appears to have softened. Kim Kardashian recently surprised many by speaking openly about her appreciation for Taylor Swift’s music.
Kim Kardashian praises Taylor Swift
Appearing on her sister Khloe Kardashian’s podcast Khloé in Wonder Land, Kim addressed whether people would be shocked to know she listens to Swift. When Khloé asked, “Do you think people would be surprised that you listen to Taylor Swift?” Kim replied, “I think I’ve said it.”
Khloé admitted she thought it might surprise people, prompting Kim to add that she has “some of her older songs in my playlist.” She went on to praise the singer, saying, “I’ve always thought she’s like a super talented, great artist.”
The roots of the tension go back to 2009, when Kanye West infamously interrupted Taylor Swift’s MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech. While that moment alone created waves, the situation escalated dramatically in 2016 with the release of Kanye’s song Famous from The Life of Pablo. The track featured a controversial lyric referencing Swift, with Kanye claiming she had approved it beforehand. Swift publicly denied this, insisting she was never informed about the line in question.
The feud took another turn when Kim Kardashian, then married to Kanye, shared edited snippets of a phone call between Kanye and Taylor, seemingly suggesting that Swift was aware of the song. The footage sparked intense online backlash, placing Taylor under scrutiny and prompting her to remain silent for an extended period. That phase eventually gave way to a striking reinvention, with Swift channeling the experience into her Reputation album, which many fans view as a direct response to that period of public judgment.
In a 2023 interview with TIME, Taylor revealed that her feud with Kim and Kanye affected her mentally. She said, “You have a fully manufactured frame job, in an illegally recorded phone call, which Kim Kardashian edited and then put out to say to everyone that I was a liar. That took me down psychologically to a place I’ve never been before,” the Grammy winner continued. “I moved to a foreign country. I didn’t leave a rental house for a year. I was afraid to get on phone calls. I pushed away most people in my life because I didn’t trust anyone anymore. I went down really, really hard.”
