‘Two undeniable icons’: Debate erupts online as fans prepare for either Beyoncé or Taylor Swift to be named Billboard’s greatest pop singer of the 21st century

So it begins, the greatest battle of our time… Yup, Swifties and the Beehive are going to war as the objects of their fandom are both tipped to be named as Billboard’s greatest pop singer of the decade.

For context, Billboard has for some time been counting down its list of those it deems the 25 greatest pop stars of the last 25 years. So far, the list has delivered some of the music industry’s biggest names, from Drake to Ariana Grande and Britney Spears, but the imminent claim to the very top spot has left Beyoncé and Taylor Swift fans nervously awaiting… and passionately arguing.

Since neither pop star has yet been named in the list — the most recent entry was Rihanna, placed at number three  — it stands to reason that both Beyoncé and Swift will comprise the two top places, but speculation and anticipation around the exact order have caused division. 

Because hell hath no fury like a Swiftie scorned, the “Midnights” singer’s fans have come out in full force to predict that it’ll be Swift who tops the list. “Let’s be serious Taylor deserves to be #1 easily,” one fan said, while citing the mammoth success of her seemingly endless Eras Tour. Sharing that sentiment, other Swifties said the number one spot “belongs to Taylor 100%, especially after the eras tour,” backing up their predictions by declaring that “TAYLOR HAS HAD THE BIGGEST CAREER OF THE 21ST CENTURY.” 

While much of this argument revolves around success in terms of touring and sales — of which Swift arguably “takes the cake,” as one fan wrote — others have said that Billboard’s rating system might be based on less “mathematical” metrics. “If we consider cultural impact, artistic influence, legacy, longevity, vocals [and] live performances… it’s obviously Beyoncé,” one member of the Beehive wrote. Another fan agreed, saying that “we will NEVER have another Beyoncé. Offering an even more frank assessment, one X user said they “can’t think of a single metric that would place Taylor above Beyoncé.”   

For all the extremes in this debate, there were a few who sat in the middle. One fan of both artists said that Billboard’s choice of how to arrange their top two spots is impossible, since “this is like choosing between air and water — both are essential.” Elsewhere, other diplomatic fans said that both stars are “undeniable icons” and that regardless of where they place, it will mark “well-deserved recognition for both” artists. In any case, it’s not the first time these two artists have been pitted against each other on social media, with comparisons especially being drawn during their concurrent concert tours last year.        

In one case, the fandom tried to compare the dancing styles of Beyonce and Swift, and elsewhere speculated about which pop star would receive the biggest box office haul for their respective concert films. The pair have paid little attention to this kind of toxic fanfare, and have regularly supported each other on numerous occasions. Swift attended the premiere of B’s Renaissance concert tour movie, and she returned the favor by appearing on the red carpet premiere of The Era’s Tour movie. Regardless of who takes the top spot on Billboard’s list, we can rest assured that the fans will have something to say about it.