Ye Fans Accuse Taylor Swift of Blocking 'Vultures 2' Release With Yet Another Version Dropped for 'The Tortured Poets Department'

Published 08/03/2024, 8:45 PM EDT

via Imago

After 5 months of endless delays, lack of updates, and missed rescheduling, Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign finally released ‘Vultures 2’ on August 3. Originally slated for a March release, the Atlanta rapper’s collaborative album had been in limbo for an extended period. While fans should have been celebrating the album’s arrival, they were once again drawn into controversy, as accusations surfaced that Taylor Swift had sabotaged the release by dropping another version for ‘The Tortured Poets Department’.

Just when fans were about to give up, Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s ‘Vultures 2’ made its way into playlists when the duo opened the door with their track ‘Slide,’ leading to the entire album being released shortly thereafter. However, just hours after the album surfaced, Taylor Swift released a new digital version of ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ including a first draft phone memo of the track ‘My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys’ on Saturday. This version has been made available for just 24 hours until August 4.

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Fans familiar with the situation know that the ‘Donda’ rapper and the ‘Karma’ singer have a history of contentious interactions. When Taylor Swift first announced ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ as a two-part album, she was blamed for copying Ye’s approach, referencing his surprise three-part album ‘Vultures.’ Moreover, when she released her vinyl versions, Billie Eilish fans reproached her for deliberately hindering Eilish’s release. 

A Resurgence Slide-ing? Ye Proves He Is Far From Being Done With Rap With 'Vultures 2'

This time, while the players have changed, the allegations remain similar. The situation is further exacerbated by the well-known animosity between Swift and Ye within the industry.

Ye fans refuse to have any more of Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department’s versions

Taylor Swift has a knack for churning out different versions of her albums, as seen with her re-released and re-recorded past records. ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ initially had 19 physical versions, but it has now expanded to an eyebrow-raising of over 30 variations. While some fans felt practically "tortured" by the constant releases, Ye’s fans welcomed the controversy with open arms.

Many speculated that Swift's actions were deliberately intended to thwart Ye’s release by pulling a rock on his marketing, while others attributed it to her obsession with chart performance. 

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Swift’s fans defended her, arguing that if Ye namedropped her in his album, she had every right to respond in kind. Although Swift’s fans see Ye’s supporters as overly sensitive, they also recognize that, in the realm of charts, only one name holds the top spot. Hence, it cannot be ruled out that it could be a part of Swift’s creative strategy.

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Taylor Swift Proves She Is Inevitable With a Return to the Top After a Hiccup With ‘The Tortured Poets Department’

What do you think of Ye's fans' allegations against Taylor Swift for hindering 'Vultures 2' release with another version of 'The Tortured Poets Department? Let us know in the comments below!

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Anushka Bhattacharya

1054 articles

I'm Anushka Bhattacharya, an entertainment journalist at Netflix Junkie. Armed with a degree in literature, I once wielded my words to catalyze change within society through my work with NGOs. However, as I stumbled into the exuberant hole of crime thrillers and documentaries on Netflix, it was love at first sight and pushed me into entertainment journalism.

Edited By: Aliza Siddiqui

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