Billboard has come under fire for announcing Taylor Swift as the second greatest pop star of the 21st century. The magazine, which has been rolling out its list of “25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century,” revealed Swift as the number two spot on Tuesday.
“After crossing over from country music to pop music at the turn of the 2010s, @taylorswift achieved success like we’ve never quite seen before, in either shape or size,” the outlet wrote on Instagram. “Billboard looks back at the century in Swift, who took pop stardom to places we hadn’t previously thought possible.”
The “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” singer, 34, was ranked ahead of Rihanna (No. 3), Drake (No. 4) and Lady Gaga (No. 5). The list also includes Katy Perry (No. 25), Ed Sheeran (No. 24), Bad Bunny (No. 23) and One Direction (No. 22).
While the outlet has yet to reveal its top artist, readers expect it to be Beyoncé. According to the outlet, the list is completely subjective and all based on staff picks.
Still, fans are taking the rankings to heart, with Swifties flocking to Billboard’s Instagram post to slam the publication for not naming Swift as No. 1.
“Taylor deserved #1,” one fan argued, while a second commented: “Shame on you, Billboard! Taylor Swift is redefining the music industry, shattering records, and transforming everything she touches. Yet, you felt the need to undermine her achievements. For any artist worldwide, #2 on your list would be a monumental accomplishment — except when it’s Taylor, the very reason your relevance endures.”
“2nd? The only artist to occupy the entire top 10 of your chart twice,” a second noted, with a third writing: “Are you guys joking with this? Taylor deserved number 1.”
“Nah this is definitely rigged,” a fourth added.
However, some fans reasoned that Swift’s ranking was fair, one person said: “If the list was based solely on charts and mathematics, we could say Taylor. But if we consider cultural impact, artistic influence, legacy, longevity, vocals, live performances, the greatest-of-all-time lists, the appreciation of her peers, that substantial aspect that goes beyond objective stats; it’s obviously Beyoncé.”
“Beyonce is great, no doubt,” another argued. “But Taylor is clear by all metrics. Sales? Streams? Tour? Etc, plus she holds several records. Taylor is clear by a landslide and she deserves number 1.”
Earlier this month, Hailey Bieber mocked Billboard after it announced Justin Bieber was No. 7 on its list.
“Billboard is a f***ing joke as per usual!” wrote Bieber’s wife of six years in a since-deleted comment below the post.
