The internet’s most hated internet nerd?
Anthony Fantano is known to many as the internet’s busiest music nerd, but his antics and harsh reviews over the years have lent him to becoming a massive target for artists who don’t agree with his takes.
Drake infamously said “I’m feeling a light to decent 1 on your existence” through leaked private messages, Logic confessed to wanting to murder him on a diss track, and Ronnie Radke threatened to sue him for defamation.
Now Halsey has Fantano in her sights after his negative review of her 2024 album, The Great Impersonator. While sporting his infamous red flannel shirt, the music critic gave the record a 1/10 rating while labeling the artist as having “main character syndrome”.
The wound that Fantano cut that day has been festering for almost two years now, and Halsey can bear it no longer.
After responding to a fan over X regarding the Halsey review on June 21, the American singer/songwriter fired back with the tweet, “I’m certain my least memorable song will be remembered more fondly and for more time than anything you ever do with your life will be.
“But at least I had the excuse of going through chemo”
Before working on The Great Impersonator, Halsey was diagnosed with Lupus and a T cell lymphoproliferative disorder. She also had her husband leave her and her record label drop her around the time of the album’s creation.
This left Fantano with a lot of blowback from Halsey fans and music lovers once he reviewed the album as negatively as he did.
Fantano went on to defend himself through Variety on June 22, stating “One thing I can’t stand by and allow to happen is this performative act where people want to act like I’m Satan incarnate for not liking this album, which I’m not”
It’s quite clear that this feud has not discouraged Fantano at all. So the real question is: who’s next?
“I don’t have to prove my track record to Halsey. I have been the most relevant and impactful music critic of my or any generation for over 10 years now…if I die tomorrow, nobody’s going to outdo that run.”
