{"id":2018273,"date":"2026-06-29T12:29:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T09:29:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2018273"},"modified":"2026-06-29T12:29:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T09:29:58","slug":"staind-frontman-aaron-lewis-responds-to-his-soon-to-be-released-maga-album-cover-already-being-used-as-shredded-packaging-for-taylor-swift-merch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2018273","title":{"rendered":"Staind frontman Aaron Lewis responds to his soon-to-be-released MAGA album cover already being used as shredded packaging for Taylor Swift merch"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/live-taylor-swift-1.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2749694\" class=\"post-2749694 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>News<\/span><i class=\"tdb-bread-sep td-icon-right\"><\/i><span>Music News<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Staind frontman Aaron Lewis responds to his soon-to-be-released MAGA album cover already being used as shredded packaging for Taylor Swift merch<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>&#8220;I certainly wouldn\u2019t be trying to bring her into this or blame her for anything&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Poppy Burton<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-06-29T13:29:58+01:00\">29th June 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- .\/block --><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span8\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure>\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/live-taylor-swift-1-696x442.jpg\" alt=\"Aaron Lewis and Taylor Swift\" title=\"Aaron Lewis and Taylor Swift\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Aaron Lewis and Taylor Swift. CREDIT: Joy Malone\/Getty Images, Jamie McCarthy\/Getty Images<br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_83 article-content-row vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Aaron Lewis has responded after a Taylor Swift fan found his upcoming album being used as shredded packaging for the pop star\u2019s merch.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"post-content-read-more\">\n<li><strong>READ MORE:\u00a0<b>Taylor Swift \u2013 \u2018The Life Of A Showgirl\u2019 review: magical when the songwriter just lets herself be<\/b><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In a social media post, the Staind frontman responded to a Swift fan\u2019s unboxing video that showed her piecing together bits of shredded paper that, when put back together, made up the cover of Lewis\u2019s unreleased album, \u2018Give Me Back My Country\u2019.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cOh look, there\u2019s my new album, that hasn\u2019t even been released yet, shredded as packaging paper in Taylor Swift merch,\u201d Lewis wrote on X\/Twitter. \u201cAin\u2019t that some shit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fans who ordered the CD collection for Swift\u2019s new track \u2018I Knew It, I Knew You\u2018 for the\u00a0<i>Toy Story 5<\/i> soundtrack took to social media to show that the merchandise arrived wrapped in paper that featured lyrics, art, and album pages from Lewis\u2019s album, which is due out July 17.<\/p>\n<p>Because of her penchant for leaving fans Easter eggs to decode, some thought it was a deliberate move from the \u2018Midnights\u2019 singer, although it remains unclear why exactly his album materials were used.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Oh look, there\u2019s my new album, that hasn\u2019t even been released yet, shredded as packaging paper in Taylor Swift merch. Ain\u2019t that some shit. pic.twitter.com\/77KhZ1ziI2<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Aaron Lewis (@Aaronlewismusic) June 25, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>His record is being released through Big Machine Label Group, which is Swift\u2019s former label, while the merchandise is being handled by Universal Music Group.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<div id=\"taboola-mid-article\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Lewis \u2013 who started out in alt rock outfit Staind but has since become more well known for his pro-Trump, politically conservative country tracks \u2013 has since spoken to <em>USA Today<\/em> about the situation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t have any social media. I didn\u2019t have it when I was younger. It\u2019s never felt important to me,\u201d he told the publication. \u201cI never even had a MySpace. So I don\u2019t see anything of that type of stuff. And when this was brought to me, I was just like, \u2018What is going on? This is just weird.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lewis went on to say he was not happy about the mix-up. \u201cThat\u2019s the cover to my brand new record that hasn\u2019t even been put out yet. As artists, we put our trust in the distribution companies to get our material way up front and trust that they\u2019ll be responsible with what it is that we give them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He added that he is not blaming Swift for the incident, saying: \u201cWe live in two very, very different worlds. And she\u2019s such a huge star that her world doesn\u2019t intertwine with anyone\u2019s worlds. I certainly wouldn\u2019t be trying to bring her into this or blame her for anything. It just so happens that it was my record cover in her gift box for her fans.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">@taylorswift13 and I are 13 twins\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/uVieknmRMR<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Aaron Lewis (@Aaronlewismusic) September 18, 2016<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-2\" class=\"lazy-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>As noted by <em>Stereogum<\/em>, Swift was once pictured alongside Lewis at Nashville\u2019s Music City &amp; Wine Festival, pointing out his 13 neck tattoo, which is famously her lucky number.<\/p>\n<p>That being said, it\u2019s looking unlikely that he\u2019ll be invited to her wedding. Over the weekend, however, reports emerged claiming that her longtime friend Stevie Nicks is rumoured to be performing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Country<\/li>\n<li>Donald Trump<\/li>\n<li>Pop<\/li>\n<li>Staind<\/li>\n<li>Taylor Swift<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_89 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<div id=\"taboola-below-article\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span4 td-is-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-sidebar  tdi_92 td_block_template_2\">\n<p><span 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data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Gracie-Abrams.-CREDIT_-Jamie-McCarthy_Getty-Images-400x254.jpg\" data-img-retina-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Gracie-Abrams.-CREDIT_-Jamie-McCarthy_Getty-Images-800x508.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Gracie Abrams addresses \u201cnepo baby\u201d discourse: \u201cI had a safety net\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>                    <span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span>                <\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Aaron Lewis has responded after a Taylor Swift fan found his upcoming album being used as shredded packaging for the pop star\u2019s merch.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"post-content-read-more\">\n<li><strong>READ MORE:\u00a0<b>Taylor Swift \u2013 \u2018The Life Of A Showgirl\u2019 review: magical when the songwriter just lets herself be<\/b><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In a social media post, the Staind frontman responded to a Swift fan\u2019s unboxing video that showed her piecing together bits of shredded paper that, when put back together, made up the cover of Lewis\u2019s unreleased album, \u2018Give Me Back My Country\u2019.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cOh look, there\u2019s my new album, that hasn\u2019t even been released yet, shredded as packaging paper in Taylor Swift merch,\u201d Lewis wrote on X\/Twitter. \u201cAin\u2019t that some shit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fans who ordered the CD collection for Swift\u2019s new track \u2018I Knew It, I Knew You\u2018 for the\u00a0<i>Toy Story 5<\/i> soundtrack took to social media to show that the merchandise arrived wrapped in paper that featured lyrics, art, and album pages from Lewis\u2019s album, which is due out July 17.<\/p>\n<p>Because of her penchant for leaving fans Easter eggs to decode, some thought it was a deliberate move from the \u2018Midnights\u2019 singer, although it remains unclear why exactly his album materials were used.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Oh look, there\u2019s my new album, that hasn\u2019t even been released yet, shredded as packaging paper in Taylor Swift merch. Ain\u2019t that some shit. pic.twitter.com\/77KhZ1ziI2<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Aaron Lewis (@Aaronlewismusic) June 25, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>His record is being released through Big Machine Label Group, which is Swift\u2019s former label, while the merchandise is being handled by Universal Music Group.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<div id=\"taboola-mid-article\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Lewis \u2013 who started out in alt rock outfit Staind but has since become more well known for his pro-Trump, politically conservative country tracks \u2013 has since spoken to <em>USA Today<\/em> about the situation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t have any social media. I didn\u2019t have it when I was younger. It\u2019s never felt important to me,\u201d he told the publication. \u201cI never even had a MySpace. So I don\u2019t see anything of that type of stuff. And when this was brought to me, I was just like, \u2018What is going on? This is just weird.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lewis went on to say he was not happy about the mix-up. \u201cThat\u2019s the cover to my brand new record that hasn\u2019t even been put out yet. As artists, we put our trust in the distribution companies to get our material way up front and trust that they\u2019ll be responsible with what it is that we give them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He added that he is not blaming Swift for the incident, saying: \u201cWe live in two very, very different worlds. And she\u2019s such a huge star that her world doesn\u2019t intertwine with anyone\u2019s worlds. I certainly wouldn\u2019t be trying to bring her into this or blame her for anything. It just so happens that it was my record cover in her gift box for her fans.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">@taylorswift13 and I are 13 twins\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/uVieknmRMR<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Aaron Lewis (@Aaronlewismusic) September 18, 2016<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-2\" class=\"lazy-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>As noted by <em>Stereogum<\/em>, Swift was once pictured alongside Lewis at Nashville\u2019s Music City &amp; Wine Festival, pointing out his 13 neck tattoo, which is famously her lucky number.<\/p>\n<p>That being said, it\u2019s looking unlikely that he\u2019ll be invited to her wedding. Over the weekend, however, reports emerged claiming that her longtime friend Stevie Nicks is rumoured to be performing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/staind-frontman-aaron-lewis-responds-to-his-soon-to-be-released-maga-album-cover-already-being-used-as-shredded-packaging-for-taylor-swift-merch-3953935&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/live-taylor-swift-1.jpg&#8221;] NewsMusic News Staind frontman Aaron Lewis responds to his soon-to-be-released MAGA album cover already being used as shredded packaging for Taylor Swift merch &#8220;I certainly wouldn\u2019t be trying to bring her into this or blame her for anything&#8221; By Poppy Burton 29th June 2026 Aaron Lewis and Taylor Swift. CREDIT: Joy Malone\/Getty [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2018273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2018273"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018273\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2018273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2018273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2018273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}