Did rock musician Kid Rock call on the Grammys to ban Taylor Swift because she's "destroyed real music," as a social-media post claimed? No, that's not true: This claim initially appeared in an article on a satirical website known for publishing fabricated content. There is no publicly available or credible evidence to support the claim.
A version of this claim appeared as authentic information in a post (archived here) on Instagram Threads on June 6, 2024. A text overlay read:
Kid Rock Vows to Call on Grammys to Ban Taylor Swift at All Costs, Says 'She's Destroyed Real Music'
This is how the post appeared at the time of writing:
(Source: Instagram threads screenshot taken Thu June 13 10:13:00 2024 UTC)
Lead Stories determined that this claim originated in an article (archived here) published on February 20, 2024, by the satirical website Esspots. It read, in part:
Breaking: Kid Rock Goes Nuclear, 'Taylor Swift Ruined Real Music, Ban Her From Grammys'
In the world of music, controversies are no strangers. However, when Kid Rock decides to make headlines, the music industry listens. Recently, the iconic rocker made waves with his fiery comments directed at none other than pop sensation Taylor Swift. In a bold statement, Kid Rock declared that Swift has ruined real music and called for her to be banned from the Grammy Awards. Let's delve into the details of this explosive proclamation and the reactions it has ignited across the music landscape.
The Esspots website's About Us page (archived here) begins:
Welcome to the US page of Esspots (A Subsidiary of SpaceXMania.com specializing in Satire and Parody News), your one-stop destination for satirical news and commentary about the United States of America.
Lead Stories previously debunked another Esspots-originated claim that country music television banned Swift "for life" and that Kid Rock refused a "collaborative tour" with Swift.
Through a Google keyword search (archived here), Lead Stories determined that another version of this claim was also published on March 5, 2024, by the satirical website SpaceX Arena (archived here). The article was very similar to the Esspot post, with subtle sentence structure and vocabulary changes. It began:
'Taylor Swift Ruined Real Music, Ban Her From Grammys,' declares Kid Rock in a furious manner.
In the realm of music, controversies are commonplace, but when Kid Rock grabs headlines, the entire music industry pays attention. The iconic rocker recently stirred up a storm with his strong comments aimed at pop sensation Taylor Swift. Kid Rock boldly asserted that Swift has compromised the authenticity of real music and urged for her exclusion from the Grammy Awards. Let's delve into the details of this explosive statement and the reactions it has triggered across the music landscape.
Lead Stories searched on Google News using keywords, which can be seen here, and found no credible documents or reporting to corroborate the claim.
Additional Lead Stories fact checks mentioning the Esspots website can be found here.
