Billboard Gets Backlash For Using Infamous Clip of Taylor Swift's Naked Wax Figure

Billboard has upset the Swifties.

The platform has been on everyone's mouths recently, as they've slowly been releasing their Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century list, lending to a polarizing response from fans and artists alike.

Hailey Bieber recently publicly reacted to husband Justin Bieber's "lower" positioning, landing eight on the list. He ranks below stars like Rihanna (3rd), Drake (4th), Lady Gaga (5th) and Britney Spears (6th), while placing above Ariana Grande (9th) and Adele (10th).

The second slot, however, has officially gone to global phenomenon Taylor Swift. Her historical Eras Tour and numerous accolades prove her worthiness of the slot. Billboard noted that she's the only person to ever win album of the year at the Grammys four times and that she has the second-most Billboard Hot 100 entries of all time. They also went on to call her the "most famous woman in the world."

However, the platform is currently under fire for featuring a clip of Swift's naked wax figure from Kanye West's "Famous" music video in their TikTok announcement of her landing second on the list.

Swifties immediately sprung into action in defense of the singer, finding it repulsive that Billboard would pull the bold move. #BillboardIsOverParty soon began trending on X, as many rally for Billboard to make a public apology.

"The decision to include that clip in a video supposedly celebrating Taylor's success is beyond nasty. It's not just disgusting and disrespectful, it's an outright slap in the face to an artist who, whether you acknowledge it or not, has single-handedly defined this generation's music scene," shared one Swift fan page via X.

They continued, "This isn't just an oversight; it's a deliberate attempt to humble her, and it's extremely pathetic. You owe Taylor a massive apology because this kind of treatment is absolutely unacceptable and unprofessional."

The music video stirred much controversy when it released in June 2016, depicting wax figures of West, Kim Kardashian, George W. Bush, Donald Trump, Anna Wintour, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Ray J, Amber Rose, Caitlyn Jenner, Bill Cosby and Swift all sleeping naked in a shared bed. The song also contains controversial lyrics about Swift. After West claimed to have obtained Swift's approval over the criticized lyric -- "I made that b**ch famous", Swift denied the claim, criticizing West and denouncing the lyric as "misogynistic" in a statement. This touched off a war with West's now ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, who released edited audio that appeared to confirm Swift approved of the lyric in a phone call with West. This led to significant backlash against Swift.

Swifties were already upset that she lost the number one spot to who many presume will be Beyoncé, though this has certainly brought their anger to new heights. Billboard has seemingly taken down the TikTok admits the blowback, though fans continue to demand accountability.

Swift nor Billboard have yet to respond.

Tags

Taylor Swift, Billboard