Beyoncé’s fans were up in arms after a metal musician accused her of being ‘overrated,’ all while praising Taylor Swift as the superior songwriter.
Gary Holt, the longtime guitarist and songwriter for the thrash metal band Exodus, gave Beyoncé a poor review while appearing on the Scandalous Podcast earlier this month.
The 60-year-old musician called the songstress — who experimented with elements of country music on her recent Cowboy Carter album — merely a ‘marginal’ talent, and he even criticized the acclaim that her daughter Blue Ivy has received.
Among Holt’s biggest complaints about Beyoncé was that he felt she couldn’t properly call herself a songwriter because of the sometimes lengthy lists of writers credited to many of her songs.
‘Beyoncé will put out a song, and there’s 30 f***ing people on it. How can 30 people write a song all gathered together? It’s like, you’re not a songwriter, Beyoncé,’ he said.
![Beyonce Fans Slam Gary Holt for Calling Her ‘Overrated’ Beyonce Fans Slam Gary Holt for Calling Her ‘Overrated’](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/00/87734603-13669671-image-a-42_1721862990113.jpg)
Beyoncé’s fans were up in arms after a metal musician accused her of being ‘overrated’ and a ‘marginal’ talent due to her use of many songwriters
![Beyonce Fans Slam Gary Holt for Calling Her 'Overrated' 3 Gary Holt, the longtime guitarist and songwriter for the thrash metal band Exodus, instead praised Taylor Swift as a nice person and superior songwriter while appearing on the Scandalous Podcast earlier this month](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/00/87734601-13669671-image-a-43_1721862993393.jpg)
Gary Holt, the longtime guitarist and songwriter for the thrash metal band Exodus, instead praised Taylor Swift as a nice person and superior songwriter while appearing on the Scandalous Podcast earlier this month
He compared that to Taylor, who he said ‘writes everything.’
‘And so, I give her credit. She’s a songwriter. And some of these other people, they require massive teams.’
Although most of Swift’s songs are credited to multiple writers, she often works with only one co-writer.
By contrast, Beyoncé’s songs tend to have many more credited writers. For instance, the first track on Cowboy Carter, American Requiem, features 13 writers.
The numbers were even more inflated on her Renaissance album, which had a stunning 24 people credited with writing the song Alien Superstar.
However, Beyoncé regularly samples other works to shape her songs, and the writers of those songs are also credited. In fact, many of the people with writing credits on her songs featuring samples had never worked with Beyoncé.
Holt’s complaints didn’t end with Beyoncé — he also suggested that the writing credited Blue Ivy received on Brown Skin Girl may not have been for any significant contributions.
She later was among the winners of the Grammy for Best Music Video in 2021 thanks to her writing credit, which made her the second-youngest artist to ever win a Grammy.
‘I mean, her daughter got a songwriting credit and a Grammy because she probably threw some f***ing kindergarten rhyme on one line and ‘Yup, give her a Grammy,’ he said.
Earlier in the conversation, Holt had shared some of the pop music he’s a fan of — Madonna and early Katy Perry — but he reserved his highest praise for the late Prince.
![Beyonce Fans Slam Gary Holt for Calling Her 'Overrated' 5 'Beyoncé will put out a song, and there's 30 f***ing people on it. How can 30 people write a song all gathered together? It¿s like, you¿re not a songwriter, Beyoncé,' he said; pictured on the Scandalous Podcast](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/01/87734627-13669671-image-a-47_1721865738763.jpg)
‘Beyoncé will put out a song, and there’s 30 f***ing people on it. How can 30 people write a song all gathered together? It’s like, you’re not a songwriter, Beyoncé,’ he said; pictured on the Scandalous Podcast
![Beyonce Fans Slam Gary Holt for Calling Her 'Overrated' 7 Holt is the longtime guitarist and songwriter for the thrash metal band Exodus, as well as a guitarist in the iconic metal group Slayer; pictured with Slayer in 2019 in Las Vega](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/01/87734629-13669671-image-a-46_1721865732844.jpg)
Holt is the longtime guitarist and songwriter for the thrash metal band Exodus, as well as a guitarist in the iconic metal group Slayer; pictured with Slayer in 2019 in Las Vega
![Beyonce Fans Slam Gary Holt for Calling Her 'Overrated' 9 It's unclear if Holt knew that many of the credits on Beyoncé's songs are for the writers of tunes she samples](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/01/87736317-13669671-image-a-53_1721866482557.jpg)
It’s unclear if Holt knew that many of the credits on Beyoncé’s songs are for the writers of tunes she samples
![Beyonce Fans Slam Gary Holt for Calling Her 'Overrated' 11 The guitarist also suggested her daughter Blue Ivy didn't deserve a Grammy for her writing contributions on Brown](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/01/87736345-13669671-image-a-54_1721866485994.jpg)
The guitarist also suggested her daughter Blue Ivy didn’t deserve a Grammy for her writing contributions on Brown Skin Girl, which he suggested may have been minimal; Blue Ivy pictured with dad Jay Z at Super Bowl LVIII on February 11
‘I mean, her daughter got a songwriting credit and a Grammy because she probably threw some f***ing kindergarten rhyme on one line and ‘Yup, give her a Grammy,’ he said.
Earlier in the conversation, Holt had shared some of the pop music he’s a fan of — Madonna and early Katy Perry — but he reserved his highest praise for the late Prince.
‘My hero’s Prince, you know the greatest artist there ever was. They’ll never be another one like him,’ he gushed.
Holt used his praise of the multitalented artist to take a jab at Blue Ivy’s accolades.
‘She [Blue Ivy] now has one seventh the Grammys Prince, the greatest artist that ever was or ever will be, ever got,’ he seethed.
While he shard his distaste for the praise that Beyoncé receives, Holt was much more awed by Taylor Swift’s talents.
‘I love Taylor Swift. Why all the hate? She’s an extraordinary hard worker,’ he said. ‘She’s super f***ing nice to everybody and people hate her. She’s just the biggest pop star on the earth and more power to her. I like them songs. I love pop.’
Unlike Beyoncé, he didn’t think the Shake It Off singer was part of a ‘factory of songwriting.’
‘Taylor writes everything. And so, I give her credit,’ Holt continued. ‘She’s a songwriter. And some of these other people, they require massive teams.’
He added that ‘She’s a good person,’ before clarifying that he didn’t know Swift.
On X (formerly Twitter), Beyoncé’s fans weren’t having any of it, and several commenters claimed Holt’s critiques of her — and praise for Swift — were driven by racism.
One Beyoncé defender remarked: ‘mighty white of him.’
Another person was even more blunt, writing, ‘So basically he’s racist. Got it!’
Others bashed Holt, who also plays guitar in the iconic thrash metal band Slayer, for not being of note in their estimation.
![Beyonce Fans Slam Gary Holt for Calling Her 'Overrated' 13 Holt praised Swift for not being part of a 'factory of songwriters,' and he said she was 'super f***ing nice to everybody' and a 'hard worker,' before admitting he didn't know her; pictured July 4 in Amsterdam](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/01/87736309-13669671-image-a-55_1721866490411.jpg)
Holt praised Swift for not being part of a ‘factory of songwriters,’ and he said she was ‘super f***ing nice to everybody’ and a ‘hard worker,’ before admitting he didn’t know her; pictured July 4 in Amsterdam
![Beyonce Fans Slam Gary Holt for Calling Her 'Overrated' 15 87736119 13669671 image a 48 1721865988291](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/01/87736119-13669671-image-a-48_1721865988291.jpg)
![Beyonce Fans Slam Gary Holt for Calling Her 'Overrated' 17 On X (formerly Twitter), Beyoncé's fans weren't having any of it, and several commenters claimed Holt's remarks were driven by racism](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/01/87736127-13669671-image-a-49_1721866042500.jpg)
On X (formerly Twitter), Beyoncé’s fans weren’t having any of it, and several commenters claimed Holt’s remarks were driven by racism
![Beyonce Fans Slam Gary Holt for Calling Her 'Overrated' 19 87736123 13669671 image a 50 1721866070295](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/01/87736123-13669671-image-a-50_1721866070295.jpg)
![Beyonce Fans Slam Gary Holt for Calling Her 'Overrated' 21 Others bashed Holt, who also plays guitar in the iconic thrash metal band Slayer, for not being of note in their estimation](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/01/87736129-13669671-image-a-51_1721866073768.jpg)
Others bashed Holt, who also plays guitar in the iconic thrash metal band Slayer, for not being of note in their estimation
![Beyonce Fans Slam Gary Holt for Calling Her 'Overrated' 23 One fan suggested that the rocker may have just been trying to be provocative or argumentative](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/01/87736121-13669671-image-a-52_1721866078400.jpg)
One fan suggested that the rocker may have just been trying to be provocative or argumentative
‘I’m sure Beyoncé woke up today thinking, “How does Gary Holt rate my career?”‘ wrote one fan mockingly.
Another simply said of Holt: ‘Who?’
One fan suggested that the rocker may have just been trying to be provocative or argumentative.
‘Not even he believes that,’ they wrote.