Taylor Swift performed at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards on Wednesday night (May 1) and the Beyhive was quick to point out the glaring similarities between her act and Beyoncé’s historic Coachella performance.
The pop star drummed up controversy (literally) after incorporating a marching band into her set, an integral cornerstone of Bey’s headlining performance at Coachella in 2018.
For Swift’s debut rendition of her new Brendon Urie-assisted single “Me!,” a marching band dressed in pastel pink took to the stage, with the Grammy Award-winning singer soon following suit and running through the track while wearing a shimmery leotard. Given the incorporated drum line, many felt as though Swift’s performance was a little too reminiscent of Beyoncé’s, leading droves of fans to call out the pop singer on Twitter with the swiftness.
In fact, the Beyhive was so unimpressed with the singer’s performance, the hashtag #mayochella began making its rounds on the social media site, calling attention to the watered-down feel of her set and accusing her of cultural appropriation. Additionally, fans pointed out how Bey’s love for drum lines dates back to her days in Destiny’s Child, years before Swift emerged into the mainstream herself. While Swift herself hasn’t responded to any of the criticism, her fans are coming to her defense, pointing out how she has also included band-inspired concepts into her music videos and performances over the years as well.
Wednesday’s Billboard Music Awards is not the only time Swift has been taken to task by the Beyhive. In 2017, Swift was accused of copying Beyoncé’s visuals from “Formation” in her music video for “Look What You Made Me Do.”
In addition to incorporating a marching band into her set, Swift also announced she will be releasing the live rehearsal audio from her performance as an exclusive. Given that Beyoncé recently released her Homecoming Netflix documentary and an accompanying live album, many fans are pointing out the curious timing of Swift’s decision to release a live album for the first time in her storied career.
Take a look at Beyoncé’s ever-loyal fans coming to her defense on Twitter and calling out Taylor Swift’s latest performance in the tweets below.