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The U.S. music outlet Billboard announced Taylor Swift as the second greatest pop star of the 21st century on November 26. While the publication has not yet officially named anyone for the number 1 spot, many on the internet believe it’s going to be Beyonce.
Disclaimer: This article has references to racism that may upset the readers. Discretion is advised.
Buzzing Pop on X and news.com.au even prematurely reported that Queen Bey had been named the greatest pop star of the century by Billboard. While that may not be true just yet, Swifties have created an outrage over the ranking, eventually triggering an online war between both fanbases.
Matters became worse when a section of Taylor Swift’s fandom made alleged racist tweets about Beyonce, her husband Jay-Z, and even her eldest kid, daughter Blue Ivy Carter. From racist slurs such as the n-word being thrown around to hinting that the Eras Tour was free of “robbery and violence unlike Beyonce concerts", a series of social media posts/ comments further fueled the fan war.
Trending
In the wake of this, the hashtag #SwiftieRacism began trending online, especially on X, with netizens now expressing their disappointment and indignation.
“This just makes me feel bad for Taylor. She loves Beyoncé and her fans are making her look so horrible #SwiftieRacism,” a person wrote.
“This is why I hate so much of our fandom btw, Swifties are just making things worse by being downright racist over what literally is not that important. Y’all are incapable of being normal abt anything and it reflects poorly on us all,” one person wrote.
“As a black Swiftie, I can’t express how disgusted I am. Taylor would be ashamed of these ‘fans,” wrote another.
“I want this #SwiftieRacism to be documented in headlines! This is years of this fanbase racism going unnoticed! They will not hide behind their feminist persona,” a user wrote.
Others continued to chime in.
“The #SwiftieRacism hashtag has totally convinced me that her fandom is specifically based on racism. Can’t convince me otherwise,” a netizen wrote.
“Imagine my surprise coming on Twitter & seeing #SwiftieRacism trending.I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again: that fandom is NEVER beating the antiblack allegations,” another netizen wrote.
“I’m black and a Swiftie. Many of the racist tweets going viral are from set-up accounts made by the hive themselves,” an individual claimed.
“No bc we are not playingggg about these Swifties talking about Bey in such insane ways #SwiftieRacism,” wrote another.
So far, neither Beyonce nor Taylor Swift has publicly addressed the fan war.
Exploring the timeline of Beyonce and Taylor Swift’s friendship
Over the years, two of the biggest music artists in the industry, Beyonce and Taylor Swift have maintained a cordial relationship from hanging out at events to cheering for each other’s career feats.
One of their first notable interactions happened at the 2009 MTV VMAs where rapper Kanye West cut short Taylor’s speech after she was awarded the Best Female Video for her song You Belong With Me.
He unexpectedly took to the stage, grabbed the mic from Swift, and shared:
"Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'ma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!"
As Beyonce looked shocked seated in the audience, others booed Ye. However, later that night, when Beyonce was awarded Video of the Year for her song Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) she called the Lover singer back on stage to finish her speech.
“This is amazing. I remember being 17 years old, up for my first MTV award with Destiny's Child and it was one of the most exciting moments of my life, so I would like for Taylor to come out and have her moment,” Queen Bey stated.
Taylor Swift obliged and the duo later shared a hug and left the stage together. She even told reporters how it was “wonderful and gracious” of the Cowboy Carter singer for her gesture.
“She’s always been a great person... I thought I couldn’t love Beyoncé more and tonight happened and it was just wonderful,” Swift added at the time.
The artists reunited in December 2014 at Taylor Swift’s 25th birthday bash in New York City, which was also attended by Jay-Z, Sam Smith, and Justin Timberlake, among others.
The following year in February the Cruel Summer singer told KissFMUK during an interview ahead of the Brit Awards that her “love” for Queen Bey was “more than the normal amount.”
“I try really hard not to let it get creepy. I just really like, channel it into a joyous admiration and appreciation,” she mentioned.
About being nominated for the same award, Taylor Swift further shared how she always tried to be “legitimately happy” for others as she was often up against her “friends” from the industry.
However, when it came to Beyonce, she was never “upset” if she didn’t win, as all she wanted was to see the BeyGood founder “all the time.”
At the 2016 Grammys, the pair hugged each other backstage, further sealing their admiration for each other. That same year, they were also spotted together at the MET Gala.
Fast forward to June 2019, Taylor Swift referenced Beyonce in her You Need To Calm Down music video alongside Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, and Katy Perry.
In March 2021, when Beyonce made history after becoming the most-awarded female artist at the Grammys, Taylor Swift was seen visibly cheering for her from the audience.
That same week, Taylor Swift again mentioned the Dangerously In Love singer on her Instagram Story for sending her a hand-written note and a bouquet, marking their friendship and giving a shoutout for her record.
At the 2023 Grammys, the duo was seen hanging out together in the audience, chatting, laughing, and posing for the cameras.
Later that year in October, the Cecred founder was seen making a surprise appearance at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour film LA premiere in October, and even posed on the red carpet together.
Swift later returned the favor by giving Beyonce a tribute on her Instagram calling her a “guiding light throughout my career” and hailing her “influence” in her professional life.
In November last year, Taylor also attended the London premiere of Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.
Billboard began announcing the “25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century” in August this year.
While the number 1 spot is yet to be announced, the list already features names of A-listers including Drake, Eminem, Ed Sheeran, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and Katy Perry among others.
In response to the outrage by Swifties for not offering Taylor the top spot, Billboard shared that the pop star began “much later” than Beyonce in both “genre and music in general.”
They also mentioned how the controversy regarding the ranking was a “testament” to the power of Swift.
