Movies

Why Billboard Has Apologized to Taylor Swift

BBG News

As a seasoned movie critic with over three decades of experience in the industry, I must say that the latest controversy surrounding Taylor Swift and Billboard is as captivating as a blockbuster drama unfolding before our very eyes. The irony of the situation is not lost on me – a publication dedicated to the world of music using a clip from a song that sparked one of the most infamous feuds in pop culture history, only to have it backfire spectacularly.

Billboard meant to honor Taylor Swift as the second greatest pop star of the century.

For some of Swift’s devoted followers, merely placing her second might have been considered blasphemous. However, a video about the recognition, which included a clip that sparked even more controversy, led to a public apology from the music publication after receiving strong criticism and backlash.

In a countdown by Billboard, Taylor Swift, the wealthy pop sensation who was named TIME’s Person of the Year last year, has been chosen as the second greatest pop star of the 21st century. This selection was announced on Tuesday. To celebrate her career and impact, Billboard shared a video on social media, but it referenced the controversial 2016 song “Famous” by Kanye West, which included a verse about Swift and depicted a naked wax figure of her in its music video. The song and accompanying video, which many felt were misogynistic, were released during an ongoing dispute between the two artists that had been going on for years.

Fans of Taylor Swift (often referred to as Swifties) were outraged when Billboard included Kanye West (now known as Ye, who was ranked by Billboard as the 7th greatest pop star of the 21st century), along with inappropriate content from his music video, in a tribute reel that was supposed to honor Swift. One fan account labeled it “extremely disrespectful” and “a direct insult.” Another fan said it was “unprofessional and highly problematic.” The hashtags #BillboardIsOverParty and #BillboardApologizeToTaylor started trending on social media.

After facing criticism, Billboard replaced the original video with an edited version on Wednesday, omitting the questionable segment. On Thursday morning, they published an apology stating: “We are genuinely sorry to Taylor Swift and everyone who saw our video celebrating her accomplishments. Unfortunately, we included a scene that misrepresented her actions. We’ve taken out that clip from the video and sincerely apologize for any harm caused by this mistake.

Swift has not publicly commented on the Billboard list, video, or apology.

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2024-11-28 12:06

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