You rock, Joe Muggs. “The point is, you might find West’s work offensive or lacking merit. But you cannot deny that he has made records that sound like no one else’s, taking enormous creative and commercial risks each time, lyrically examining the nature of what he does as well as questioning the collective mood of the times, inhabiting myriad disturbing alter egos, and becoming loathed and vilified like no other musician. He has expressed himself in other media as well as music, and entered partnerships with artists from the most mainstream to the far leftfield. That’s what makes him like Bowie, and why it makes more sense to have him pay artistic tribute to Bowie rather than any of the MOR pop stars who are rumoured to be lined up for a tribute at the Brits. Yet here we are, once again, with social media flooded with venom about what an “idiot” he is (always the digs focus on his intelligence), with his face photoshopped on to penises, and memes showing how he and Justin Bieber are responsible for the rot of modern culture. In comparison to this collective roar of disgust, the disgruntlement at the likes of Chris Martin and Noel Gallagher being considered worthy to step into Bowie’s shoes is but a murmur. It’s almost as if people who claim to love Bowie in all his variety and transgressiveness don’t actually like it that much when other stars step outside their allotted roles.”

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