Taylor Swift not on new Kendrick Lamar album after rumours

Despite fans’ hopes and widespread rumours, Kendrick Lamar‘s latest album does not contain a duet with Taylor Swift.

Lamar, 37, surprised his fans on Friday, Nov. 22, after he dropped a new LP titled GNX. The surprise record features 12 songs with titles like “Wacced Out Murals,” “Squabble Up,” “Luther,” “Man at the Garden,” “Dodger Blue” and more.

None of Lamar’s collaborators are listed on the soundtrack, which is primarily produced by Sound wave and Jack Antonoffboth of whom often work with 34-year-old Swift.

Lamar and Swift had been heavily rumored to drop another collaboration after 2014’s “Bad Blood” and 2023’s remastered version. When Taylor’s version of 1989 dropped, the remixed “Bad Blood” — including Lamar’s verse — was on the lineup.

Related: Yes, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar Remix ‘Bad Blood’

Taylor Swift dropped her highly anticipated 1989 (Taylor’s Version) at exactly midnight with 21 songs — but Kendrick Lamar’s fan-favorite remixed version of “Bad Blood” didn’t make the final lineup. Loyal Swifties shouldn’t worry though, as Swift, 33, re-recorded the duet. “Watching @kendricklamar create and record his verses on ‘Bad (…)

“Watching @kendricklamar create and record his verses on the ‘Bad Blood’ remix was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life,” Swift said via Instagram in October 2023. “I still look back on this collaboration with so much pride and gratitude, for the ways Kendrick lifted the song and the way he treats everyone around him.”

She added: “Each time the crowds continue The Eras Tour would sing his line ‘You forgive, you forget, but you never let it… go!’ I smiled. The reality that Kendrick would go back and re-record ‘Bad Blood’ so I could reclaim and own this work I’m so proud of is surreal and confusing to me. I’m beyond happy to say that ‘Bad Blood Remix (Featuring Kendrick Lamar)’ is available everywhere on 1989 Deluxe Edition.”

Neither Swift nor Lamar have publicly confirmed whether they have another joint project in the works.

Swift’s fans were shocked that their carefully crafted theories – aided by photos of the couple and Antonoff, 40, in the recording studio together – remain unconfirmed.

Related: Kendrick Lamar announces he will headline the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show

Kendrick Lamar announced on Sunday, September 8 that he will be performing at Super Bowl LIX’s halftime show in February. In a post on Instagram, the rapper, who spoke from an Astroturf field with a large American flag as a backdrop, shot a bag of footballs from a gym lifter as he revealed his big news. “What (…)

“Kendrick heard that Taylor Swift rumor and said enough is enough,” one social media user wrote via X on Friday.

However, others believe that another surprise release featuring said alleged duet could still be in the works.

“Kendrick is definitely dropping another album before the Super Bowl and Tay will be on it,” one fan wrote, while another added: “Feel like Kendrick has another album or two ready to go.”

Lamar was recently announced as the headliner for Apple Music’s halftime show at the 2025 Super Bowl next February.

“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once in a generation artist and performer. His deep love of hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision,” Jay-Z, who produces the show under his Roc Nation label, said in a statement. “He has an unmatched ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music and his influence will be felt for many years to come.”

The Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show will air live on Fox Sunday, February 9, 2025 from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.