In this day and age, it's rare to find pop stars, or even culty quasi-pop celebrities, who are willing to pop the fuck off on social media, but Azealia Banks is not scared. Banks has been an engagingly toxic online presence for over a decade, and she's really been hitting her stride lately, offering unsolicited career advice and withering problematic shit-talk to virtually every other famous musician out there on the landscape. Banks has had many targets, and not all of those targets have responded. But the 1975's Matty Healy is also willing to pop the fuck off on social media, and those two are really going at each other right now, to the point where Healy briefly threatened actual violence.
Back in 2023, when Matty Healy was dating Taylor Swift, Azealia Banks warned Swift away from him: "Taylor, this guy is gonna give you scabies." It became a Page Six story and everything. As this Reddit thread points out, Banks has also recently had words for Healy collaborator Charli XCX: "Lmao u r so damn phony Charli. U been bending over been bending over for the gays for years and they all still think ur a snoozefest. Stop being such a performative hag. The gays think ur booooooring sis give it up." Banks has continued to tweet about Charli, and it hasn't all been negative, but she's not really trying to build any bridges, either. She is also not terribly fond of Lorde.
Is Matty Healy In Los Angeles or London? I need to choose territory because I've had enough of niggas thinking my opinion is open season for them to threaten me. He's going to pay got every last word of it because enough is enough
— AZEALIA BANKS (@iiwasinthee212) December 4, 2024
It appears that this story isn't over.
UPDATE: On Thursday Dec. 5, Matty Healy shared the following on the 1975's subreddit.
What a bad day, I really let myself down. I have worked so hard to move past these impulsive self destructive and honestly quite volatile outbursts I have. I’m constantly making trouble for myself for no reason, I come back to social media after depressive episodes (which is NOT an excuse) because I often become sober, so as an addict when I’m not using I pick up social media my new way of ‘consuming’ and changing how I feel. I just feel dreadful about how I acted violent - I think Azealia and all obvious flawed people all deep down have a heart and I hate that I have contributed to her mental fragility. She’s a human. This cultural discourse has become so violent in general. I don’t wanna act like I regret who I am or who have been. But Tbh at this point I feel gross even having said anything negative ever about anything - if it’s contributed to this culture. I’m not here saying this cos I feel bullied and scared. I’m embarrassed man. And I’m sad. And I want this 1975 world to be dreamy and wonderful again. Not some black mirror episode about being a fucking hipster. I hope to put as much work into our need and desire for altruism and understanding and love as I have about the dangers of becoming an internet lunatic. Cos that happened to me and it’s was real but it’s time to move on as an artist. Sending you all love ❤️
