Billboard has explained why it picked Beyonce over Taylor Swift as the greatest pop star of the 21st century, saying it was based on the singer’s “full 25 years of influence, evolution and impact.”
The music magazine sparked debated when it announced that it had selected Single Ladies singer Beyonce, 43, for the top spot, with Swift, 34, in second place despite her huge fan base and record-breaking Eras Tour. Billboard said that while Swift “is the century’s biggest pop star by the numbers – from album sales to streams to touring dominance,” its editorial staff went with Beyonce.
However, the decision triggered outrage among fans, with some posting messages on X saying Swift was “robbed” and that she should have taken the title. Others took issue with the fact that Swift seemed to be at a disadvantage in the poll because, being nine years younger than Beyonce, she got off to a later start in her career. One commented: “Billboard choosing not to give the #1 to Taylor because… she was a literal child when the century started is surely something.”
Newsweek has emailed representatives of Taylor Swift and Beyonce for comment.
How did ‘Billboard’ rank the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century?
In its article, Billboard pointed to the fact that Beyonce’s impressive skills as a performer and creator have made her “the bar” against which all other pop stars are measured.
Looking at commercial success, performance, critical acclaim, awards, influence within the industry and big cultural moments, it said few artists over the past quarter of a century could match her and that Swift was really the only star who was a challenger.
Swift did win when it came to the numbers, with more chart-topping albums than Beyonce, a slew of broken records in her wake and the fact that Eras is on course to be the biggest tour of all time.
But Billboard maintained that while she is the biggest pop star in the world right now “no one has a longer or fuller track record than Beyonce” in the 21st century.
“It is insanely impressive that Taylor has even made it a discussion after missing the whole first quarter of the period, but only Beyonce has spent the entirety of the last 25 years exemplifying greatness in every form imaginable,” the publication said.
Third place in the list went to Rihanna, with Drake in fourth. Bad Romance singer Lady Gaga rounded out the top five.
