Todd Rundgren calls Taylor Swift "the apotheosis of mediocrity", says she "ruined music"

Speaking to Vulture, as cited by Billboard, Rundgren was asked which current artist he would spoof if he were to make a parody album, referencing his work on Meat Loafs 1977 album Bat Out of Hell, which he has said was partly intended as a send-up of Bruce Springsteen.

Taylor Swift, of course. Theres an argument to be made that she ruined music, Rundgren said, adding, Its just that, to me, Taylor Swift is the apotheosis of mediocrity.

Rundgren expanded on his criticism later in the interview, saying, Taylor Swift doesnt do anything particularly great except grow hair.

He added, Shes not a great singer. Shes not a great songwriter. Shes not a great dancer, as cited by Billboard.

During the interview, Rundgren praised Lady Gaga, describing her as a real musician and a classically trained piano player.

He also floated a theory that female pop stars rose to dominance after young men shifted their spending towards video games in the 1990s.

This is not the first time Rundgren has criticised Swift. He made similar comments about the singer during an appearance on Rick Rubins Broken Record podcast in 2022, as per Billboard.

Swift has not responded to Rundgrens latest remarks. When 'The Life of a Showgirl' received mixed reactions following its release last year, Swift addressed criticism of her work during an appearance on Apple Musics The Zane Lowe Show.

I have a lot of respect for peoples subjective opinions on art. Im not the art police, she said, adding, Everybody is allowed to feel exactly how they want.

Rundgrens comments come days after Swift released 'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore', an expanded edition of her 2025 album featuring four additional tracks, including Patient Zero.

Swift premiered the songs music video during the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday.

The deluxe edition of Swifts 12th studio album, now out, also includes the newly recorded song Babylon, along with Pink Clouding and Cleveland!.

As per Billboard, the original album spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and opened with a record-breaking 4.002 million equivalent album units in the United States in its first week. (ANI)