‘Disrespectful’: Rick Astley trolled after he calls his ‘80s hit ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ a ‘s**t song’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Social media expressed frustration and disappointment when iconic '80s singer Rick Astley threw shade at his own smash hit, 'Never Gonna Give You Up', likening it to a 's**t song'.

Fans, both old-school devotees and younger listeners who've embraced Astley's tunes, didn't hold back in their criticism. They called out the singer, asserting that without 'Never Gonna Give You Up', he wouldn't have the fame he enjoys to this day.

Rick Astley brands his hit song 'Never Gonna Give You Up' a 's**t song'

According to The Sun, Astley isn't holding back when it comes to his thoughts on his '80s anthem, 'Never Gonna Give You Up'.

Despite the song shooting him into superstardom overnight back in 1987, he bluntly compared it to a 's**t song'. Social media users found it quite a shocking statement as the track topped the charts in 25 countries.

But Astley now admits that performing the song at last year's Glastonbury Festival changed his perspective.

In The Sun interview, the 58-year-old singer said, "Festivals, and Glastonbury in particularly, have an almost magical ability to elevate s**t songs. It’s basically what happened with 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. Suddenly you just find yourself singing along."

Reflecting on his fame after the release of 'Never Gonna Give You Up', Astley recalls "My most ridiculous moment of celebrity came when I was very high up a mountain in the Italian Alps and two nuns asked me to sign their bibles. I just thought, ‘OK, fine. I’m not sure what’s going on here but that’s just silly.’ I signed the first page, but it just made me just think, ‘OK, that’s what happens when you become like…famous’."

Despite his success and being referred to as 'national treasure', Astley states, "When I hear people describe me as a national treasure, I think, ‘It’s the end of my career’."

Astley took a backseat from the music scene after a string of hits in the '80s, only to return in 2016.

Internet slams Rick Astley for criticizing his song

People online disapproved of Astley's criticism of his own song.

A reader online wrote, "Funny because that song is only reason anyone knows who he is and why he is still known."

Another user wrote, "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. You’d be nowhere near in the place without the popularity of that song."

A user commented, "Whenever singers badmouth their own songs, it insults everyone who liked it. Everyone understands that singers get over critical through repetition, but just reword your explanation or keep your mouth shut."

Another user commented, "And if it wasn't for that song Astley wouldn't have any career."

A user stated, "I really hate it when people do that. You didn't mind the money it got you. People spent their hard earned money on it. It's disrespectful to the people who brought it and as a teenager I loved. "

Another user stated, "And yet he still sings it and it makes him money."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.