Billboard is apologizing to Taylor Swift for a video celebrating her spot on their list of this century’s greatest pop stars, saying it included a clip that “falsely depicted her.”
The video in question was intended to highlight the artist’s achievements after she placed No. 2 on Billboard’s rankings, but it also showed a scene from Kanye West’s controversial “Famous” music video that featured a naked wax figure resembling Swift.
In the video, West raps, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b—ch famous,” in reference to their infamous interaction at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.
“We are deeply sorry to Taylor Swift and all of our readers and viewers that in a video celebrating Swift’s achievements, we included a clip that falsely depicted her,” Billboard wrote in a post on X early Thursday. “We have removed the clip from our video and sincerely regret the harm we caused with this error.”
Fans lashed out at the music magazine, even after the apology, with many claiming the inclusion of the clip was intentional. “Now keep her name out of your mouths. Forever,” one X fan account posted in a response to the apology.
Billboard has been naming the top 25 greatest pop stars since 2000 as the quarter mark of the 21st century nears. And with the end of her record-breaking tour on the horizon, Swift was named the runner-up this week.
Now attention is turning to who will be named No. 1, and here’s a hint: it’s fair to say it starts with a B.
Swift named No. 2 by Billboard
Discovered in 2005 by a record executive while performing at the iconic Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tenn., the now 34-year-old Swift has been a fixture in the recording industry since her teens.
Since her debut, she’s won four Grammys for album of the year, released 12 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot 100 list, been named Times’ person of the year, and was the first musician to become a billionaire based solely on their music and performances, according to Forbes.
Swift’s first single, “Tim McGraw,” was released in 2006, and was followed by her self-titled debut album, which sat on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart for 284 weeks, peaking at the No. 5 spot in 2008.
From there she was on a roll, and went on to release eight full-length albums in a span of 12 years. In 2020, Swift surprised fans with the announcement of her new two albums, “Folklore” and “Evermore,” just months apart.
More recently, the artist released “Midnights” in 2022, and her double album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” in April.
The star also just wrapped up the first leg of the Eras Tour in Canada with a six-show stop in Toronto that was expected to have an economic impact of more than $282 million on the city.
She’ll perform the final shows of the tour — which began in 2023 — in Vancouver from Dec. 6 to 8.
Over the course of her career, Swift has made hits in an array of genres, including country, pop, indie and folk.
However, her talents don’t end at music. Swift has released multiple live concert films, documentaries and directed the short film “All Too Well.” She has also acted and performed in movies such as “The Lorax,” “The Giver,” “Cats” and “Amsterdam.”
Who might be crowned No. 1?
Swift is followed on Billboard’s list by Rihanna, Drake, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears, respectively.
Not far behind in seventh place is Kanye West. The pair have had a tumultuous relationship since 2009, when the rapper infamously interrupted Swift on stage after she had won an MTV Video Music Award for “You Belong With Me,” with an agitated West suggesting it should’ve gone to Beyoncé instead.
Billboard has yet to name who the top pop artist of the century is so far, but based on her absence thus far and her undeniable impact, some are speculating that Beyoncé will finally get her win over Swift.
To those familiar with both artists’ history, it feels like Beyoncé and Swift have constantly been neck and neck on multiple fronts when it comes to who is considered the most successful, most talented and most beloved artist of our time.
“In music history, there always has to be a yin and yang — whether it’s manufactured or organic,” Alan Cross, host of the longtime radio series “The Ongoing History of New Music,” said about the two artists.
Swift’s haul from this year’s MTV Video Music Awards puts her in a tie with Beyoncé for the most awarded musician in the show’s history, though if only considering awards granted to solo artists, Swift takes the crown.
For what it’s worth, “when you get to the level of both Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, it’s almost arbitrary which one finishes first,” Cross said about Billboard’s list.
“Each one of them has had impacts in their own way,” he said, though he added that with the Eras Tour ending and how much Swift has been in the media lately, he thought she would’ve been more “top of mind.”
The two artists’ “friendly rivalry,” as Cross puts it, has made Billboard’s decision to rank Swift in second controversial for some of her fans.
“Did you forget who Taylor Swift is or something?” one fan questioned under Billboard’s post on X announcing the singer’s rank.
“This is the same artist that has been consistent in all metrics for the last 15 years, the same artist that politicians chase for an endorsement or a show, and the same artist that moves economies wherever she goes,” said another. “They just won’t give her the recognition she truly deserves.”
Not all were disappointed with the list though.
“As a fan of both,” wrote one user on X, “I have a good feeling Taylor Swift would agree with Billboard’s ranking of Beyoncé as #1.”
Billboard will announce its pick for the greatest pop star of the 21st century on Dec. 3.
