Billboard has explained why the music publication chose Beyoncé as the biggest pop star of the 21st century over Taylor Swift after sparking a major controversy with Swifties.
In November, Billboard ranked Taylor at number two, hinting that the Formation singer would take the top spot, and on Tuesday, the commercial pub made it official.
Billboard explained“While Taylor Swift is the biggest pop star of the century by the numbers, Beyoncé tops our editorial list chosen by our staff based on her full 25 years of influence, impact and evolution.”
Writer Andrew Unterberger went on to say that the Love Story singer “really challenged Beyoncé for the top spot in these rankings” and even has “a clear statistical advantage over Bey in many key categories.”
However, Taylor, 34, “has not been around long enough to match the breadth of his quarter-century of dominance.”
“If we’re going by the numbers, Taylor would easily top this list,” Andrew wrote, adding that “even with her late start, she has more number one albums and as many number one singles this century as Beyoncé.”
Andrew summed it up by saying, “When talking specifically about greatness for the 21st century, no one has a longer or more complete track record than Beyoncé.”
Despite the detailed explanation, Taylor’s fans were still upset that the Shake It Off hitmaker didn’t get the top spot.
Billboard has finally explained why they chose Beyoncé as the biggest pop star of the 21st century over Taylor Swift after sparking a huge controversy with Swifties.
In November, Billboard ranked Taylor at number two, hinting that the Formation singer would take the top spot, and on Tuesday the music publication made it official.
Billboard summed it up by saying, “When talking specifically about greatness for the 21st century, no one has a longer or more complete track record than Beyoncé.”
After fan account pop longing announced the news, Swifties rushed to her defense on X (formerly Twitter).
“Taylor has had more impact in the last five years than Beyoncé has had in her entire career,” enthused one follower.
“In other words, since Taylor was 15, Beyoncé had the advantage…what kind of post is this?,” raged one furious fan.
However, Beyoncé’s fans, known as the Beyhive, were just as dedicated.
“No one has been able to have the kind of permanence that Beyoncé has been able to have over the last three decades. And for that reason alone, she is the greatest living artist,” noted one commenter.
‘Beyoncé is Billboard’s number one pop star of the 21st century for good reason. Over 25 years, he has broken records, dominated charts, provoked debate, energized communities and influenced generations. ‘More than a pop star, she’s a cultural force!’ exclaimed one super fan.
Some were equal fans of both pop stars, with one person tweeting: “I think we can all agree that these women are extremely and truly talented and we love them both.”
When the news first broke, Swifties were furious, calling the list a “joke”, while claiming the Fortnight singer had been “robbed”.
Taylor’s superfans previously said the music magazine’s charts were “always incredibly inaccurate” and called her placement a “crime.”
Beyoncé and Taylor often publicly support each other, especially in the years following Kanye West’s infamous stage grab at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009, above.
Taylor’s superfans previously said the music magazine’s charts were “always incredibly inaccurate” and called her placement a “crime.”
Despite the feud between Swifties and the Beyhive, Beyoncé and Taylor often publicly support each other, especially in the years following Kanye West’s infamous stage grab at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009.
Kanye interrupted Taylor’s Video of the Year acceptance speech for You Belong With Me to declare Beyoncé the “real” winner of Single Ladies, publicly pitting the two pop stars against each other.
Rapper Gold Digger said, ‘Hey Taylor, I’m so happy for you.’ I’ll let you finish. But Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!’
Beyoncé made sure to end Kanye’s feelings and the two pop megastars remain friends.
In 2023, Swift attended the premiere of Beyoncé’s Renaissance in London and they have shown support for each other on social media over the years.