Billboard's recent ranking of the 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st century has sparked controversy. While Taylor Swift secured the second spot behind Beyoncé, a particular video clip included in the announcement video has ignited outrage among fans and critics alike.
The clip in question is from Kanye West's 2016 music video for "Famous," which featured nude wax figures of several celebrities, including Swift. The song's lyrics also implied that West had made Swift famous and hinted at a sexual encounter between the two. This incident further exacerbated the already tense relationship between the two artists.
The inclusion of this highly contentious clip in a celebratory video honoring Swift's career has been widely criticized. Many have questioned Billboard's editorial choices and the overall tone of the video.
Highly unprofessional of them to use a clip from THAT video while highlighting her career... Talk about a womans career without bringing men into it specially the ones who did her dirty, alright billboard?? #BillboardIsOverParty pic.twitter.com/hJUM68kU9z
— Jessalyn🧸 (@jessuiscalme) November 27, 2024
Deleting the video means nothing you need to apologize to Taylor this is disgusting. #BillboardIsOverParty pic.twitter.com/cSa1KMBrLL
— Kaylie (@tayshrts) November 27, 2024
Billboard NEEDS to apologize to Taylor. Publicly. What even went through their head? “Oooo! Why don’t we post Taylor’s trauma!!” Like..? No. #billboardisoverparty pic.twitter.com/TtKewJ2R92
— Lyla Is On Her Own, Kid 💙 (@LylaTheSwiftie) November 27, 2024
no bc imagine you have literally like what? 60 seconds to capture THE TAYLOR SWIFT 18 years of legacy. you have months to prepare it. it’s going through several hands and approvals. your top charting artist. and you do THIS? nastier than we can comprehend #billboardisoverparty pic.twitter.com/3ONy4ZSAMJ
— paulina 🪶 (@foreverwwinter) November 27, 2024
Following the backlash, Billboard removed the original video and posted a new version without the controversial clip. The platform also issued a public apology, acknowledging the error in judgment.
We are deeply sorry to Taylor Swift and all of our readers and viewers that in a video celebrating Swift’s achievements, we included a clip that falsely depicted her. We have removed the clip from our video and sincerely regret the harm we caused with this error.
— billboard (@billboard) November 28, 2024
While Swift's position on the list is a testament to her significant impact on the music industry, this incident has overshadowed the positive intent of the ranking. The controversy has ignited discussions about the ethics of music journalism and the power of social media to hold media outlets accountable.
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