Slayer guitarist Gary Holt admits that he loves pop music. During a recent appearance on the Scandalous podcast, Holt said: “I love pop! I listen to pop mostly in the car, I don’t listen to metal. There’s some heavy sh*t on SiriusXM… but I’d rather listen to George Michael, myself.”
Holt said that his love of pop goes all the way back to his early days in Exodus. “Even back in the Bonded by Blood era. I’d be out on tour with Venom, and I’d be drunk at the bar, singing every word to Madonna’s ‘Angel.’ And Cronos was shaking his head, like, ‘What’s wrong with this guy!?’”
Holt went on to praise one pop star and simultaneously bury another. “I love Taylor Swift!” he revealed. “Why all the hate? She’s an extraordinarily hard worker, she’s super f*cking nice to everybody, and people hate her. She’s just the biggest pop star on Earth, and more power to her. I like the songs!” She’s a good person on top of anything else Not that I know her, but hey, she tipped off her truck drivers 100 grand. I’m not a Swiftie, but when ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ comes on the radio, I don’t change it.”
When it comes to Beyoncé, however, Holt is definitely not a fan. “Beyoncé will put out a song and there’s 30 f*cking people on it. How can 30 people write a song, all gathered together? It’s just like a factory of songwriting! Who even knows who did what anymore, when there are like 20 names on it. I think Beyoncé is the most overrated talent on Earth. I think she’s marginally talented.”
Holt’s full interview can be viewed below.
