has slammed “big artists” including the likes of
Taylor Swift, who release their vinyls and CDs in various editions. In a tirade about sustainability, Billie took aim at those artists who offer different colours of the same record, some with exclusive bonus tracks, to encourage fans to buy one of every edition. She confessed to Billboard: “Some of the biggest artists in the world [are] making f***ing 40 different vinyl packages that have a different unique thing just to get you to keep buying more. It’s so wasteful.” Billie added: “It is right in front of our faces and people are just getting away with it left and right, and I find it really frustrating as somebody who really goes out of my way to be sustainable and do the best that I can and try to involve everybody in my team in being sustainable. “It’s so wasteful, and it’s irritating to me that we’re still at a point where you care that much about your numbers and you care that much about making money — and it’s all your favourite artists doing that s***.” Billie herself released her 2021 album Happier Than Ever in eight different variants, but ensured she used environmentally friendly packaging, making her vinyl records out of 100% recycled black vinyl and recycled scraps for the coloured editions. Her shrink-wrap packaging was also made from sugar cane in an effort to boost her green credentials. Billie is also an advocate for cruelty-free fashion, and urged
fashion house Oscar de la Renta to stop using animal fur for her
Met Gala gown. As a vegan, Billie is all about saving the planet for future generations, adding to Billboard: “What’s more important: things being original or our kids being able to live on the planet and them having kids?” Taylor Swift, on the other hand, is offering four different editions of her upcoming album The Tortured Poets Department, each offering alternative covers and bonus tracks. She announced the albums at her Eras Tour, telling an audience in Sydney: “You know, it’s good to have options. Everyone likes options. I wanted to show you something if you would direct your attention to the main screen. This is an alternate cover for The Tortured Poets Department.” Bonus tracks included in the various editions include The Black , The Albatross, The Bolter and The Manuscript. There are also rumours abounding that some of her bonus tracks will be exclusive to CD, vinyl and cassette editions, rather than digital releases. Swifties have been left raging at Billie’s comments, sure the Bad Guy hitmaker was taking aim at Taylor in her message – though she was never mentioned by name. One fumed: “But… didn’t she release a tonne of variants for her vinyls/cassettes as well as some special edition splattered paint ones? Like did she forget?” Someone else said: “I’ll start listening when she starts travelling by bus!” As another said: “She clocked Taylor so bad I’m crying.” But others were keen to support Billie, as one fan said: “She spilled and if you mad that’s cause you feel your fave is attacked.” “A lot of people won’t like this but she’s a
Queen for it,” someone else gushed. Another fan echoed: “Why is everyone making this into a stan war when all Billie cared about was the environment?”