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By Macy Waddle
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Beyonce Knowles-Carter, 42, is a hip hop/pop artist that got her start with Destiny’s Child, a girl group that swept the 1990s and early 2000s with hits like “Say My Name” and “Survivor”. Taylor Swift, 33, is a country/pop artist whose career began when she was just 16 years old with songs like “Tim McGraw” and “Teardrops on My Guitar.” On paper, the two are not similar artists and most recently have posted a photo together, when Beyonce came to support Swift at “The Eras Tour” movie premiere in Los Angeles, so why are the two constantly pinned against one another in the media?
Nikki Keating of The Oberlin Review explains their differences best, "Taylor Swift’s brand is dependent on white feminism and indie folk/pop. Her music and set are retro-inspired and fun, focusing on themes of womanhood through the lenses of her “Southern,” white upbringing. On the other hand, Beyoncé focuses on her experience as a Black woman in America. Her songs and set often center around themes of Black Power and the Black feminist movement. Her music is drawn from R&B, Pop, and hip-hop, and she frequently collaborates with artists like Kendrick Lamar or Jay-Z."
News outlets and fans alike constantly put both artists up for comparison, whether it is tour ticket sales, awards won, or the amount of talent they have, it seems that despite their differences, everyone believes they are quite similar, or at least similar enough to compare. Many would argue that this fictional rivalry began in 2009 with the infamous Kanye West incident, after Swift was announced as the winner of the Video Music Award’s Best Female Video over Beyonce, but a recent article I came across on the Today Show brought a new perspective to light.
However, I would argue the second reason they offer is a better explanation on why the two have been seen as opposite sides of the music industry for a decade. They cite the idea of “identity politics,” defined by Oxford Dictionary as, “a tendency for people of a particular religion, ethnic group, social background, etc., to form exclusive political alliances, moving away from traditional broad-based party politics.”
In this case, it is not political alliances being formed, but fan bases. In the Today Show article, Tammy L. Kernodle, a Miami University musicology professor who specializes in African American music and gender studies in music, says, “I think marginalized individuals tend to rally around certain artists, and Beyoncé is embracing a culture that is associated so much with the disenfranchised," she says, then citing how the singer's use of house music on her "Renaissance" album and tour resonates with the LGBTQ+ community. “Beyoncé is speaking to those individuals and representing those individuals who are oftentimes rendered silent and invisible.” While, on the other hand she says, Swift has been viewed as more of a wholesome, All-American girl throughout most of her career. "Swift embodies this notion of the youthful, exuberant, beautiful girl, which had always been marketed through popular culture as the ideal of white feminism, or a white feminine identity,” she argues.
These quotes alone can give reasoning to the constant fan arguments on social media. It is not because the two artists are similar enough to compare, it is because many fans, on both sides, see what the other artist embodies as an opposing identity. In most arguments between between members of the "Beyhive" and "Swifties" you'll see Beyonce fans citing that Taylor's promotion of feminism is not intersectional, and you'll see Taylor's fans firing back with claims that Beyonce's brand is set on materialistic and capitalistic principles, which promotes a lifestyle unobtainable to many and that often times Beyonce enables others to promote competition within the industry. The important thing to note in these arguments, is that both sides are choosing to compare on the basis of which artist has less flaws. Keating said it best, "But you don’t need to compare women to discuss their flaws because they are exactly that — their flaws. Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are flawed artists who also exist outside of each other."
The most important part of being a fan of anything is acknowledging that the person, idea, or object that you are a fan of, can be flawed, but is still worthy of your affection. The constant comparison and criticism not only promotes exclusivity within the fan bases, but also promotes the idea that it is impossible to be a fan of both artists. This toxic “Me vs. You” mentality that plagues media and politics today is extremely faulty, often unwarranted and certainly problematic. Polarization is already widespread throughout our everyday lives and the trickle down into entertainment is a negative sign. You do not have to be on one side or another.
Instead of creating a somewhat “culture war” between these two successful women, why cannot we celebrate both women for representing a wide range of music listeners? Both Hozier and Drake, two male artists, and who are vastly different in style and marketing like these two female artists, hosted tours this summer, yet no one is comparing their success. Why can we not accept and enjoy two impactful female artists simultaneously? Both Beyonce and Swift have proven, especially recently, that they are supportive of one another, so why can fan bases not do the same? Contrasting the two benefits no women and harms all.
I leave you with one final thought from Kernodle. “That is the thing about these women. Think about what they have done in the context of popular culture over the last 10 years,” “They've shifted the paradigm — and they have shifted the paradigm so much so that the metrics that define excellence cannot keep even keep up.”
Macy Waddle is a McConnell Scholar in the class of 2026. She is studying political science at the University of Louisville.