When it comes to Taylor Swift, two factions exist in equal size: one of them believes she's a pop star of the people without equal, and the other is certain that she's emblematic of the ubiquitous mediocrity in pop music elevated to the upper echelons thanks to whiteness. These two frequently clashing sides are back at it again at Krispy Kreme. Swift's performance of her latest single "ME!" at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards was met with outrage from Beyoncé fans, who claim Swift's use of a marching band is lifted from Beyoncé's 2018 Coachella show.
In drawing unfavorable comparisons, Beyoncé’s fans spawned the hashtag "#Mayochella." It began trending on Twitter:
Even Netflix, which distributes the Beyoncé Coachella concert film Homecoming, appeared to reference the controversy. Like it when brands co-opt the language of social justice? Here's a doozy:
This isn't the first time Swift has been accused of plucking ideas from Beyoncé: her 2017 video "Look What You Made Me Do" was seen by some as lifting elements from Beyonce's "Formation" video. Joseph Kahn, director of the "Look What You Made Me Do" video, denied this, and subsequently tried to troll the Beyhive by alleging that Beyoncé copied Swift's "Bad Blood" video.
