Bon Iver's Justin Vernon recently recalled a friendship that once thrived in creativity but was slowly broken apart by ego. Vernon, who seamlessly stands at the confluence of indie gems and stadium-fillers, more than a decade ago, offered the emotive voice to Kanye West's sound of rebellion and influence. But now, he let out a sigh reflecting on that bond, in despair over how times have changed the person he once considered a friend, in comparison with Vernon's frequent collaborator, Taylor Swift.

Vernon reminisced about the old times in retrospect, lamenting West's descent into an altered personality, favoring Taylor Swift.

There was a time when Kanye West was not into KKK stunts, antisemitism, and incendiary tweets, and Bon Iver was there to witness his hamartia. In a recent interview with The Times, Justin Vernon analyzed his past relationship with West, a friendship that began in the 2010s while collaborating on the album 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'. However, by the year 2014, there had been a change of some kind, and the West, Vernon knew, was gone. He did not blame it on politics, but on ego. “He just was destroyed by his own ego,” Vernon explained, adding that no one would be able to tip him off since “he wouldn’t listen.”

Vernon also drew a comparison between West and his most-famous nemesis, Taylor Swift, who handled the limelight with ease, unlike the rapper consumed by his ego. “She’s built for it, man. She can handle it," Vernon stressed, per the outlet. He pointed out that her strength was in her ability to listen and adapt, an attribute he considered being absent in West's rather erratic and impulsive character. In the very instant he sighed, as already at a point of no return, he left his "friendship with him around 2014." While West could not, Vernon learned how to walk away when one's own ego starts acting up and hampering their music. 

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Despite the emotional turbulence, Vernon remains anchored to his own musical identity, looking ahead to newer, unexpected prospects.

Justin Vernon has been through an emotional roller coaster, reflecting on expelling one's creative blues, the tough side of fame, and creative pressure. In the same interview, he said, "I’d be very surprised if I made another album," suggesting a pause in his lucrative discography, which gave the world iconic music from Kanye West's 'Monster' to Taylor Swift's 'Folklore'.

On April 11, 2025, he released his latest album, 'Sable, Fable.' Though the limelight always has its way of changing people’s views, and he has been on a journey where a major part of it is learning when to let go of his ego’s darker and more harmful impulses, a new period for Bon Iver glitters like gold.

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