Taylor Swift‘s Ice Spice collaboration isn’t even out yet and it’s already the center of controversy.
On Wednesday (May 24), Swift announced her fan-favorite song “Karma” is receiving a remix featuring Ice Spice, who she called “THE ONE to watch” in a tweet. The remix, off Swift’s Midnights (Til Dawn Edition) deluxe album, drops Friday (May 26).
After the announcement, however, many fans pointed out that Swift’s rumored boyfriend, Matty Healy, recently co-signed some very offensive remarks about the “Munch” rapper — who, for her part, has had nothing but nice things to say about Healy’s band, The 1975.
What Did Matty Healy Say About Ice Spice?
In February 2023, The 1975 frontman sparked controversy when he appeared on The Adam Friedland Show. During the podcast episode, Healy laughed along and was complicit as hosts Adam Friedland and Nick Mullen made derogatory comments about Ice Spice and her appearance.
After Healy mentioned he tried to DM Ice Spice on Instagram, Friedland and Mullen tried to guess the rapper’s race and ethnicity, mocking Hawaiian, Inuit and Chinese accents in the process.
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“This chubby Chinese lady. ‘Yeah, I rap and [make] music.’ Do they talk like that? Do Inuits talk like that?” one of the hosts joked.
“Yeah, that’s what Ice Spice is like,” Healy appeared to respond.
The podcast episode has since been pulled from Apple Music and Spotify, but it still exists on YouTube.
Did Matty Healy Apologize to Ice Spice?
According to Rolling Stone, Matty Healy apologized to the “In Ha Mood” rapper while performing with The 1975 in New Zealand in April 2023, a few months after the podcast episode aired.
While on stage, Healy acknowledged his jokes sometimes go too far and apologized to the rapper.
“I just feel a bit bad, and I’m kind of a bit sorry if I’ve offended you. Ice Spice, I’m sorry. It’s not because I’m annoyed that me joking got misconstrued. It’s because I don’t want Ice Spice to think I’m a d–k. I love you, Ice Spice. I’m so sorry,” Healy said.
However, many deemed his apology insincere as the band continued to play music in the background and Healy even chuckled at one point.
Here’s Why Some Fans Are Upset About Taylor Swift’s Ice Spice Collab:
Many fans are frustrated that Taylor Swift, who was first linked to Matty Healy romantically just a few weeks ago, would work with an artist who her rumored boyfriend disparaged.
Some believe Swift, who has been accused of performing white feminism, is using the collaboration as a means to scrub Healy’s image and get ahead of any potential bad publicity.
Below, find out what some fans are saying about the controversy surrounding Swift, Healy and Ice Spice.
Warning: Some tweets contain strong language.