Taylor Swift performed at the Billboard Music Awards on Wednesday night, and she had a full marching band on stage with her. If that set-up sounds familiar, it’s because Beyoncé did a (much better) version of it this year at Coachella, and soon everyone was calling the music festival #Beychella instead.
And in case Swift somehow missed that (she didn’t), the fact that Bey’s documentary of that performance, Homecoming, was released by Netflix a couple of weeks ago probably didn’t escape her attention.
We’re not saying she straight up copied Beyoncé, and yes, we know there have been marching bands performances along with pop musicians before (Prince famously did it at the Super Bowl half-time show in 2007), but the fact that Taylor Swift thought that doing it so soon after Beyoncé did it would be a good idea just shows how out of touch she is.
Honestly. Sw*fties be using words like icon, epic, best, legend & award-winning too loosely. And seem to forget that Bey’s use of drumlines in #Homecoming is hailing black culture DEEPLY while #Mayochella was surface, bubblegum fluff—no substance, no depth.
— Sami Schalk (@DrSamiSchalk) May 2, 2019
Another big problem with Swift’s performance is that Beyoncé’s performance had a whole lot of context and history behind it. Swift’s, not so much.
And people were not shy about calling Swift out for her appropriation. It wasn’t long before #Mayochella was trending on Twitter, and the roasting was delicious.
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https://twitter.com/mattwhitlockPM/status/1123787884790800384
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How can a person’s pose be offbeat https://t.co/uDwD3Mm4gw
— ✨ uɓıs ɹǝʇɐʍ pǝʇɐɹodɐʌǝ ✨ (@wewantkandy) May 2, 2019
3.
🗣OK LADIES LET’S GENTRIFICATION #Mayochella pic.twitter.com/BTBDhP3JpJ
— NYC Queen 👑 (@acayne10463) May 2, 2019
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https://twitter.com/The4Real_KB/status/1123939670474334208
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https://twitter.com/ThecalmJade/status/1123939174090977282
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https://twitter.com/InhambaneAfrika/status/1123911174922416128
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What in the Melania copying Michelle’s speech is this. #Mayochella pic.twitter.com/piWkZ1o95l
— Courtney Enlow (@courtenlow) May 2, 2019
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https://twitter.com/TeekusRaps/status/1123817799770619904
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https://twitter.com/that_bitch311/status/1123767369854259200
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“When he fuck me good I take his ass to Panera.” pic.twitter.com/s3mnaodd0k
— Jah. (@Jeesa_Jay) May 2, 2019
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#mayochella – Kanye tried to tell you… pic.twitter.com/NY2dCWwK1N
— Narrative Shifter Ed.D (@FiveMikes) May 2, 2019
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https://twitter.com/molegrl/status/1123941213407711240
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“Okay ladies, let’s promote colonization.” #MayoChella pic.twitter.com/p8nZfam2F8
— Preston “Highbrow Negro” Mitchum (@PrestonMitchum) May 2, 2019
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This is why Beyoncé dropped her self titled album on Taylor Swift’s birthday. We ain’t forget #Mayochella pic.twitter.com/x5nyKyEGk9
— Fro Milli (@MichelleCocoa_) May 2, 2019
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https://twitter.com/missbeygency/status/1123753536431562759
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My daddy Minnesota, mama from North Dakota, you mix that Starbucks with that mayo MAKE A TRUMP SUPPORTER😂😂😂 #Mayochella pic.twitter.com/HrmzDqEUKE
— iam.marvelousss (@boi_baddie) May 3, 2019
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https://twitter.com/VincentMosley6/status/1124162031823749120
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https://twitter.com/MariahMipie/status/1124316193333108737
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Nobody:
Absolutely Nobody (maybe a few white folks):
Taylor Swift after Beychella: #Mayochella pic.twitter.com/SRhiGFOekw
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) May 2, 2019