In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, Tool’s Justin Chancellor shared his thoughts on the unexpected chart rivalry between Tool and Taylor Swift.
His comments come after Tool’s latest album, ‘Fear Inoculum,’ knocked Swift’s 2019 album, ‘Lover’ off the top spot on the Billboard Chart in the US. Chancellor seems unbothered by the potential backlash from Swift’s fans, known as Swifties, as he addressed the situation with the following words:
“Ha ha! Yeah, it’s fine. That was only for one moment; it was just when it came out, she was back on top the next week. It was good because we had all of our previous work in the charts due to it all being on streaming for the first time as well. It worked out well; it caused a kind of tidal wave of Tool that week. We didn’t plan it to work that way, but it worked out; it really pushed it.”
Chancellor’s Take On Taylor Swift
When asked whether he is a Swift fan, the musician replied:
“Nah… not really.”
The Fanbase Frenzy
Swift’s album ‘Lover’ had a strong initial showing, with all 18 songs landing on the Billboard Top 100. However, in its second week, ‘Lover’ was overtaken by Tool’s first album in 13 years, ‘Fear Inoculum.’ This unexpected turn of events sparked a clash of fan cultures, with some Swifties struggling to recognize Tool, a band that has released relatively few albums over the years. A Swiftie wrote on social media:
“Keep streaming, guys! This band Tool is dropping a new album after 13 years (lmao 13). It is okay, but. We still have a chance! Stream ‘Lover’ by Taylor Swift harder! Also [‘You Need to Calm Down’] and ‘Lover’ seems to [be] doing well, so… We have work.”
Another Swiftie added:
“There is a chance of debuting at Number 2 due to a new band called Tool. If this ends up being the case, then that would be an embarrassment beyond belief. This is Taylor Swift. She did not work her socks for the album and promo for this mess to happen.”
Rock’s Relevance Reinforced
Meanwhile, Tool fans took to the internet to celebrate their victory and the impact of their long-awaited album. One fan wrote:
“16-year-old Taylor Swift fans who have no clue who Tool is freaking out that they’re gonna surpass her in sales (they will) is hilarious.”
Many people think rock music is fading away, especially when hip-hop and pop are getting more attention. However, Tool has shown that rock is still popular by putting great effort into their music.