James Blunt, that castaway one-hit wonder who remains a fun Twitter presence because he’s self-aware about his professional limitations, isn’t afraid to insult John Mayer, that technically gifted guitarist who writes mood music for department stores.
On Monday, the “You’re Beautiful” singer held nothing back after Mayer wandered into his territory like a wide-eyed and foolhardy supplier.
Mayer, who once told Playboy that his penis wasn’t interested in Black women, wrote a patronizing tweet about inner beauty back in October. “If you’re pretty, you’re pretty; but the only way to be beautiful is to be loving. Otherwise, it’s just ‘congratulations about your face,’” the singer of “Your Body Is a Wonderland” joked.
When this tweet was brought to Blunt’s attention, he went for the throat:
If you’re pretty, you’re pretty; but the only way to be beautiful is to be loving. Otherwise, it’s just “congratulations about your face.”
— John Mayer (@JohnMayer) October 19, 2017
Mate, I’ve covered this already. https://t.co/cBj602iUpf
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) March 12, 2018
It was another strong tweet in a long line of self-deprecating zingers that have oddly reversed Blunt into the mainstream because, well, people like him.
Quite wet and disappointing? https://t.co/ONT032Pmvk
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) February 7, 2018
Mayer, boundlessly talented, has had the opposite career arc over the years: Everyone thinks he’s kind of a jerk, so people write off his work even though it’s more interesting than Blunt’s music. Mayer has admitted that he’s a recovering “egomaniac,” and he told NBC in 2015 that he tries to stay off Twitter. Maybe he should take his own advice.