Beyoncé’s loyal army of devoted fans are packing up racist Swifites online after Taylor Swift was named second in Billboard’s list of “25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century,” likely leaving the top spot for the R&B superstar.
The outlet predicted the backlash, although not the outpouring of racist abuse,” while revealing Swift as the runner-up earlier this week.
“The fact that controversy will likely tear through the internet over [Swift] being just one small space below No. 1 is just another testament to her power,” the publication noted.
Nonetheless, racist Taylor Swift fans, anticipating a win for Beyoncé, vented their frustrations in numerous disgusting tweets. #SwiftieRacism began trending on X (Twitter) as the Beyhive and other social media users called out the perpetrators.
“Racism has ALWAYS been a strongly present issue within Taylor’s fanbase,” one user shared. “When people think of a “racist fanbase,” SWIFTIES is the first word that comes to mind. And the thing is, they’ve NEVER tried to hide it and have always been openly racist.”
Many others posted extensive threads featuring hundreds of tweets from Taylor Swift fans racially abusing Beyoncé.
“And this isn’t a first for Swifties,” another appalled fan wrote. “They did the same with Sza. Anytime a woman(especially a black one) dares to best Taylor in any capacity…they start spewing racist or misogynist garbage. Enough is enough.”
Check out some other reactions at the end of the page.
Taylor Swift Praises “Guiding Light” Beyoncé
Despite the backlash from some fans, Taylor Swift feels very differently about Beyoncé. The pop star gushed over the Houston native after she made a surprise appearance at the October premiere of Swift’s Eras Tour film in October last year.
“I’m so glad I’ll never know what my life would’ve been like without @beyonce‘s influence,” she wrote. “The way she’s taught me and every artist out here to break rules and defy industry norms. Her generosity of spirit. Her resilience and versatility. She’s been a guiding light throughout my career and the fact that she showed up tonight was like an actual fairytale.