Aretha Franklin Throws Serious Shade at Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj

Ice. Cold.

taylor swift nicki minaj
(Image credit: Archives)

Our biggest takeaway from Taylor Swift's naysayer takedown anthem "Shake It Off," is that the singer knows just what to do when shade is thrown her way. This said, no amount of shimmies could soothe the sting of unkind words from a living legend.

In a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, Aretha Franklin is making no secret of what she really thinks of the new crop of musical talent. After deeming Adele a "good singer," and Alicia Keys a "good writer," the diva's claws came out. When asked what she thinks of Swift, she merely replied "great gowns, beautiful gowns." If you thought her deadpan snub of Swift was bad, her opinion of Nicki Minaj was even harsher. "I'm going to pass on that one," she countered when the rappers name was brought up. Ice cold, Aretha. Ice. Cold.

Beauty Editor

Lauren Valenti is Vogue’s former senior beauty editor. Her work has also appeared on ELLE.com, MarieClaire.com, and in In Style. She graduated with a liberal arts degree from Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts, with a concentration on Culture and Media Studies and a minor in Journalism.