Entertainment
18 Celebrities Who Wrote Scathing Songs About Another Star
There are a ton of perks to being famous (the money, the free stuff that you get despite the previously mentioned money, the ability to set up "work meetings" with Ryan Gosling, etc), but one thing that you might not consider is all of the platforms you have at your disposal to, well, throw shade. If you're a musical artist, you can diss your enemies right through the radio — just like these stars did. Click through to read about which celebrities insulted other famous people in their music.
Miley Cyrus
Jay Z’s song “Somewhere in America” calls out Cyrus for appropriating twerking with the line, “Somewhere in America, Miley Cyrus is still twerkin’.” He later tweeted that the pop star was “the old world’s worst nightmare.”
Joe Jonas
The Jonas Brother called out his ex-girlfriend in his song “Much Better.”
Taylor Swift
The pop star publicly discussed the fact that Jonas broke up with her via phone call, but Jonas might have gotten the last laugh. He referenced Swift’s song “Teardrops On My Guitar” with this line from the Jonas Brother’s “Much Better” single: “Now I’m done with superstars, and all the tears on her guitar… I’m not bitter.”
Taylor Swift
Of course, Swift isn’t just the victim of song shade-tossing.
Katy Perry
It’s just a rumor (yeah, okaaaaay) but Swift’s song “Bad Blood” off her new album 1989 is allegedly about Katy Perry. The offending lyrics include: “Did you have to hit me, where I’m weak? Baby, I couldn’t breathe. And rub it in so deep, salt in the wound like you’re laughing right at me.”
Eminem
Eminem isn’t exactly the kind of guy you want mentioning you in a rap — he’s got a reputation for cutting deep into other celebrities, such as this pop star.
Christina Aguilera
It’s unclear what the pop star did to the rapper to warrant this harsh verse from “The Real Slim Shady,” but it’s certainly cringe-worthy: “Christina Aguilera better switch me chairs so I can sit next to Carson Daly and Fred Durst, and hear ‘em argue over who she gave head to first. You little b****, put me on blast on MTV: ‘Yeah, he’s cute, but I think he’s married to Kim, hee-hee!’ I should download her audio on MP3 and show the whole world how you gave Eminem VD.”
Miley Cyrus
Back when she was still Hannah Montana, Cyrus penned this song about her ex.
Nick Jonas
Jonas and Cyrus dated for two years, and apparently went through a particularly messy breakup. Cyrus allegedly penned her single “7 Things” about their breakup, and listed all of the things she didn’t like about the star: “Your games, you’re vain, you’re insecure, you love me, you like her…”
Pink
Before getting back together with her ex, Pink penned this “over it” breakup tune.
Carey Hart
Pink’s song “So What” directly pointed at her then-ex Hart, so much so that he appeared in the music video as himself! Lines include: “I’m having more fun, and now that we’re done, I’m gonna show you tonight, I’m all right, I’m just fine, and you’re a tool.” They later made up and welcomed a baby girl together.
Kanye West
The rapper had something to say about the man his wife married before him.
Kris Humphries
West took a shot at Kim Kardashian’s ex Humphries in his song “Way Too Cold” with this line: ”And I’ll admit, I fell in love with Kim /’Round the same time she had fell in love wit’ him, well, that’s cool, baby girl, do ya thing, lucky I ain’t have Jay drop ‘I’m from the team.”
Nicki Minaj
She may look sweet here, but you really don’t want to get into any beef with Ms. Minaj.
Lil' Kim
Every wonder who the “stupid hoe” was in Minaj’s single? Apparently, it’s Queen Bee Lil’ Kim, as evidenced by this lyric: “I get it cracking like a bad back, b**** talkin’ she the queen, she looking like a lab rat.”
Abigail Breslin
One way to diss your ex-boyfriend? Pen a tune titled “You Suck.”
Michael Clifford
The bleached blonde 5 Seconds of Summer singer has called the song “musically bad,” but that probably has to do with some of the lyrics about him, such as: “I hate your dumb tattoos, I hope you fly to the moon.”
Justin Timberlake
Timberlake’s cheating ex was immortalized in song.
Britney Spears
Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River” is about his breakup with Britney Spears — something he didn’t admit until nearly ten years after the song’s release! The stinging lyrics include: “When you call me, on the phone, girl I refuse, you must have me confused, with some other guy, your bridges were burned, and now it’s your turn, to cry.”
Katy Perry
Perry wasn’t just the subject of a diss song — she wrote one of her very own.
Travie McCoy
Perry dove into McCoy’s alleged drug problem with the lyrics in her 2008 song “Circle the Drain,” stating: “You fall asleep during foreplay, ’cause the pills you take are more your forte.” McCoy shot back that he was happy Perry wrote something “with substance.”
Alanis Morissette
Though Morisette’s ex denies the song is about him, let’s be real — it’s probably about him.
Dave Coulier
We got waaaay too much information about Uncle Joey’s sex life with the bitter breakup tune “You Oughta Know,” which features cutting lines like, “It was a slap in the face, how quickly I was replaced, and are you thinking of me when you f*** her?”
Dave Grohl
The Foo Fighters frontman pulled no stops when he insulted his deceased Nirvana bandmate’s wife.
Courtney Love
The song “I’ll Stick Around” is allegedly about Kurt Cobain’s wife’s manipulative ways, with lyrics that include: “I’ve been around all the pawns you’ve gagged and bound, they’ll come back and knock you down, and I’ll be free.”
Sheryl Crow
Crow called out a cheating ex in this breakup ballad.
Eric Clapton (Probably)
Rumor has it that Crow’s song “My Favorite Mistake” is about her ’90s love affair with Eric Clapton. It features lyrics like: “Now here comes your secret lover, she’d be unlike any other, until your guilt goes up in flames.”
Madonna
The icon moved on from her divorce by penning a song about her former hubby.
Guy Ritchie
After she filed for divorce from the British filmmaker, Madonna recorded the song “I Don’t Give A” about the breakup with these scathing lyrics: “You were so mad at me, who’s got custody, lawyers suck it up, didn’t have a pre-nup.”
Lily Allen
The “Smile” singer didn’t mince words when talking about the former President.
George W. Bush
Allen’s song “F*** You” doesn’t mention Bush by name, but she admitted that it was a response to the President’s remarks about the LGBT community. She sings: “Do you get a little kick out of being small minded? You want to be like your father, it’s approval you’re after, well that’s not how you find it.” Bringing out the daddy issues? Serious burn!
Britney Spears
The pop princess asks the question that literally everyone was asking post her breakup with this deadbeat ex.
Kevin Federline
Spears’ song “Why Should I Be Sad?” was aimed at her ex-husband Federline, who is also the father of her two kids. The song off her album Blackout featured lines like: “My friends said you would play me, but I just said they’re crazy, while I was crying frantic, was it true?”
Ray J
The rapper — who really doesn’t want you to forget he dated a certain reality star — penned a track about his ex.
Kim Kardashian
Before the reality star was with Kanye West (or Kris Humphries) she dated Brandy’s little brother Ray J. He wrote a song about Kardashian titled “I Hit It First,” which has icky lyrics like: “I had her head going north and her a** going south, but now baby chose to go West… we deep in the building she know that I kill ‘em, I know that I hit it the best.” Mmmkay Ray J.