Why Did Billboard Apologize to Taylor Swift?

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As a long-time Taylor Swift fan, I am both appalled and amused by the latest incident involving my beloved idol. Billboard’s blunder in using a clip from Kanye West’s “Famous” video to celebrate Swift’s success is not just disrespectful, but it also shows an alarming lack of sensitivity towards their audience.

In my gaming world, I’d say: “I, as a gamer, had to step back and apologize after a video I made celebrating Taylor Swift’s success caused some trouble and drew criticism. You see, I was ranking the 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century, and I, unintentionally perhaps, placed her at number two instead of the top spot. Lesson learned: always give credit where it’s truly due!

Originally, the video posted alongside Billboard’s announcement contained a snippet from Kanye West’s controversial song “Famous,” which was released during his long-standing dispute with Taylor Swift. In this track’s music video, you’ll find a naked wax figure representing Swift. The lyrics of the song are: “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. Why? I made that girl famous.” The release of “Famous” and its accompanying video sparked significant backlash.

Billboard’s Taylor Swift post caused a stir

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A post shared by billboard (@billboard)

Billboard faced criticism when they displayed a wax figure of Taylor Swift, who was naked as depicted in Kanye West’s “Famous” music video, to announce her as the second-best pop star of the 21st century. Fans were outraged, labeling it “inappropriate” and “extremely distasteful.” The hashtags #BillboardPartyIsOver and #BillboardApologizeToTaylor started trending on social media platforms like Twitter, expressing disapproval of the billboard company’s actions.

After facing criticism, Billboard ultimately decided to delete the video from their sites. They also used their official social media accounts to express apologies towards Taylor Swift. On X, they stated, “We are genuinely sorry to Taylor Swift and all our readers and viewers who saw a clip in our celebratory video that incorrectly portrayed her.” The message continued, “We have removed the clip from our video and deeply regret any harm caused by this mistake.

Billboard took down the disputed video and published a revised version on Instagram instead. They also added the same apology note in the caption. However, the Instagram post’s comment section is still filled with critical comments. So far, Taylor Swift has not commented on Billboard’s ranking, the controversy surrounding it, or their apology.

Originally reported by Shriya Swami on Mandatory.

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2024-11-29 15:40