Opinion | Whether Taylor Swift copied Beyoncé or not, black women’s successes are being ignored
- When the singer opened Billboard Music awards with a live performance of her new single ME! it looked ripped straight from Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella show
- Critics say that, from pop culture to politics to daily life, black women’s achievements are undermined, appropriated or ignored
Taylor Swift, a blonde woman who sings songs, opened last week’s Billboard Music awards with a live rendition of her new single ME! It was a very pink, very poppy performance and, in many eyes, it was also very plagiarised.
As scores of people on social media immediately pointed out, Swift’s production – from the lighting to the entrance to the use of drum lines and a marching band – was highly reminiscent of Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella show. #Mayochella immediately started trending, and Swift was given a new nickname: Taylor Grift.
It’s not entirely clear whether Swift copied Beyoncé. As an army of Swifties have vociferously pointed out, Beyoncé did not invent drums or marching bands, and Swift used a marching band during her 2009 tour.
But even bearing these caveats in mind, it’s hard not to notice the striking similarities between the two performances.
Not to mention, this isn’t the first time that Swift has been accused of copying Beyoncé. (Swift, by the way, has not commented on the debate.)
Does any of this matter if you’re not a diehard Bey or Swift fan? Well, yes. This controversy is about more than one performance; it’s about the long history of black women’s achievements being ignored, appropriated and undermined.