Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett is not a fan of modern pop music, nor many of its artists. The legendary metal musician had some harsh comments for the genre in a new interview. Coincidentally, the conversation came after Hammett took some flak for a controversial Taylor Swift shirt he wore onstage.
During Metallica’s June 2026 concert in Budapest, Hammett was spotted wearing a satirical t-shirt that read: “Taylor Swift Is A CIA Psyop.” According to NME, this sparked criticism from Swift fans. Rather than address the situation head-on, however, Hammett indirectly doubled down on his issues with modern pop.
The Swifties came for Kirk Hammett, but he skirted the issue
Speaking to The Irish Times, Hammett said he feels that “right now, songwriting and pop music is crap.” This quip came after the thrash music icon discussed how, when he was younger, he felt challenged by music. “I started off learning off records, just trying to develop my ear and learning songs and guitar solos from playing records over and over again,” Hammett said.
“And it was a real challenge,” he continued, “because if you got three different guitar players together and said, ‘OK, play ‘I’m The One’ on Van Halen’s first album,’ all three guitar players would play it differently. There was some charm to that.”
Hammett went on to say, “I kind of lament [not having] those days when people had to really struggle to learn, because it’s all in the struggle. And it’s all in the determination and being inspired at the same time that forces you to come up with your own stuff and eventually your own sound and style.”
Kirk Hammett thinks modern pop music is ‘crap’
“I just worry about how things are so perfect these days, the musicianship,” the guitarist offered. “It’s great that all these guitar players have all this vast knowledge of technique at their fingertips. I wonder where it’s leading to.”
Finally, he shared what he’d like to see happen. “I hope it leads to a better quality of pop music, popular music, and just a better quality of songwriting. Because right now, songwriting and pop music is crap.”
“I’m hoping that all these great musicians who can teach themselves through the internet step up and put all that great learning and all that great inspiration into creating new stuff. New songs, the future of music, and at a higher standard than what it is now,” Hammett added. “Because I’ll say it again, K-R-A-P. Crap. Sorry for all you pop fans out there.”
The post Metallica Guitarist Kirk Hammett Makes Some Harsh Comments About Pop Music After Wearing a Controversial Taylor Swift Shirt on Stage appeared first on VICE.
