My day-pass with the Snake Fam is clearly over, and it’s time to go back to being unsettled about all things involving Taylor Swift. First, the fashion. Taylor walked the carpet at the Billboard Music Awards last night wearing this Raisa Vanessa Spring 2019 ice skater-esque minidress. The ruffles, my lord. This is the aesthetic for Nu Taylor, or 2019 Tay – ruffles and pastels, sugary girlishness. There were jokes about her looking like Tonya Harding. I mean… if the ruffle fits.
Taylor was the big “get” for the Billboard Music Awards. She dropped her new music just in time to schedule herself as the opening act for the BMAs, and of course she and Brendon Urie performed “ME!” The thing is though… the music video for “ME!” was classic juvenile Taylor – rainbows and pink and kittens and butterflies. And it came out after Beyonce dropped Homecoming on Netflix – Homecoming being the documentary/concert film of Bey’s 2018 Coachella performance, with a strong emphasis on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, complete with drumlines and marching band backup. Check out what Taylor did for her opening act at the BMAs:
This did not go over the way she hoped. When I saw that drumline, I immediately thought “really? So soon after Beyonce released Homecoming?” The Snake Fam is INSISTING that Taylor always did marching-band themed performances before Beyonce, but… this is not the first time I’ve thought that Taylor is doing a Becky version of whatever Beyonce has JUST done. And again, I wasn’t the only one to pick up on the Beyonce thing. Black Twitter had a field day with the hashtags #Mayochella and #Homegoing.
Taylor tried to copy Beyonce performance, but ended up looking like a high school pep rally #Mayochella pic.twitter.com/jWsGJtqpEU
— Awesomeness (@that_bitch311) May 2, 2019
Honestly I don’t care if Taylor had that planned for months before Bey dropped Homecoming.
She had time to start over once she saw it, as any sane human would have done. #mayochella pic.twitter.com/6XMhVO3lXK
— 🥚Egg A Nazi 2019🥚 (@KGisWriting) May 2, 2019
Me at this whole situation with #Mayochella stealing from Beychella pic.twitter.com/BXEQbuD6CJ
— Mihrimah Irena |🙅🏻♀️Wakanda Zindabad🙅🏻♀️| (@Mihrimah_Irena) May 2, 2019
Incidentally, Taylor has been doing press for her new music this time around – she’s no longer doing the Beyonce-esque “I will not speak on my own behalf” thing anymore. In an interview with Zane Lowe on Radio Beats 1, Taylor talked about her dark snake aesthetic and how it was “a reflection of how she felt as a person” and that “a lot had happened over the years which had made her feel terrible….I was defiantly putting up a defense mechanism because I was reflecting on this persona that had been constructed for you… At the beginning of the album, there was no explanation, just ‘Reputation’. I stuck with it and didn’t go back on it. I didn’t feel like I owed that to anyone. There was a lot that happened and made me feel really terrible in the last few years.” The fact that it’s been three f–king years and she can’t even take one slice of ownership with what happened really speaks volumes. Let the #Mayochella hashtag fly, y’all.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Stevie Nicks would like everyone to remember that she has performed with an entire marching band numerous times.
yeah that’s my first thought too so I can’t muster up any feelings about this one way or the other
It’s not about Taylor using a drumline, as many performers have done before, it’s the timing of her using a drumline so soon after Beyonce’s Home Coming dropped on Netflix. That seems to be what people are mocking Tay-Tay for.
I don’t understand why she is being called out now. Didn’t anyone notice that the song just has those drums and it’s a theme from the video? If she wants to perform the song as recorded then she needs the drums. So?
I do not care for Taylor but are we not allowed to do something because Beyonce just did it? I am sure they had been rehearsing for months, was she supposed to change everything up at the last minute? That seems a bit silly.
This is a non-issue. I took my daughter to see TS quite a few times when she was a teenager. Any time she performed You belong with me she wore a majorette costume (hat included) and had a marching band. This isn’t too far a stretch.
For Black people- this is a larger discussion about culture vultures, which has been happening for decades. Even the way she stood with her hand on her hip and the whistle blowing. It was move for move , step for step Beyoncé. It feels like someone on. TS team is trolling her massively. Maybe they hate her.
Yeah, I love some Beyonce but let’s not pretend she invented the drum line or was the first pop act to ever use a marching band or drum line.
That being said, Taylor should have known Beyonce literally just did it. Its the lack of self awareness that’s weird. Like is she that oblivious or is she using the controversy for attention.
If you listen to the song there is a drumbeat which makes sense to play up.
literally just did it, in the Coachella concert, that was last year?
Yes, and then literally again, when the footage came out on Netflix and thus became widely consumed by people who didn’t keep up with what happened at Coachella.
One imagines you don’t get a marching band together on a whim. If it was inspired by Homecoming, would they have time to book, rehearse, stage design and direct for it, etc.?
If the argument is Beyoncé did it a year ago, how long is this creative embargo on something she didn’t do first anyway supposed to last?
And no, I’m not Taylor Swift fan. Stevie Nicks, yes.
I mean its silly but if Taylor had this planned for a while or something I can see just going with it? I guess? Meh. What I’m really here for is for someone to explain the #mayochella hashtag. Does it have something to do with mayonnaise? LOL! I’m clueless. Go easy on me, I’m 38 *hides face*
Thank you Lightpurple. I’m sure Beyoncé would be the first to say she was not the first performer to use a drum line.
I love Beyoncé and don’t like Taylor Swift, but agree with you. It’s kind of funny though.
Missy Elliott comes to mind as well.. lots of performers use them. I get the Beyonce love but come on… not everyone and everything they do is because of her..
I’m just here to honk for Stevie Nicks.
That was my first thought, too. What about Fleetwood Mac? #tusk #justice4fleetwoodmac
Just posted the same thing below!
I actually thought of Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback girl. But we better go back 14 years in the past and warn Gwen that she is stealing from Beyonce.
Don’t tell me that you want me!!
I think for this its the timing more than anything.
Also this is very Taylor circa Fearless era and You Belong With Me which was….2008? In either case, we can’t celebrate two artists without pitting them against each other?
Somewhat ironically, You Belong With Me, which is the award Kanye interrupted to tell the world he thought Beyoncé was better, has a marching band central premise. I bet Taylor hasn’t forgotten that. Coincidence or conspiracy? LOL
Let’s not forget Ciara did the drumline thing in her video last year called Dose and she performed with a small drumline during her live performances last year at The AMA’s. Bey and Taylor are just continuing to recycle. Though Bey had a drumline with Destiny’s Child Loose My Breath video she hadn’t used a live drumline before.
Meant to comment on @ Yvette’s comment. I mean, Beyonce’s documentary just came out the same week as Taylor’s music video, right? But wasn’t the documentary filmed at LAST YEAR’S Coachella? Taylor’s music video wasn’t filmed yesterday. It’s got a drum line in it too–something she’s had in more than one music video over the course of her career. I do not think she’s copying Beyonce. I think there’s room for more than one drumline in the world.
I agree. This is too much. I don’t like Tay tay, she irritates me and her music is mediocre to put it kindly, but to jump on her for using a marching band, really? Bey did nit invent that thing, the marching bands existed before Beyonce and there number of artists who use marching bands in very different type of music. Muse are doing a number with a marching band on the tour this year. They also have a song recorded with the marching band on their last album. Did they also came on Beyonce?
And this dress isn’t that bad either. Tay has been wearing worse in the last couple of weeks. I am thinking someone like Charlize Theron could put off a version of that. Maybe in a different colour.
I’ve got Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Tusk’ going through my mind while reading this whole thing.
The mediocrity. #mayochella indeed.
This right here.
That is all she is.
As long as she does not open her mouth to “meow” Earth Wind & Fire’s September ever again, I’ll give her a pass!
the swaggerless drumline
I’d wear the hell out of that dress.
That’s all I’ve got, folks will find controversy anywhere.
Yeah I’m mixed on the dress. I kind of dig it. It’s definitely over the top, but it’s for an awards show. I LOVE the color. I think I’d probably want to drop a few of the ruffles, but overall not bad at all.
I think the amount of ruffles is fine, but they’re in the wrong places. Some of the ones around her neck and such should have gone to make the skirt a tad longer. It’s too short for the design and another row of ruffles on the skirt would take away the ice skater feel. Which is really the only problem with the dress.
I love it too.
10 year old me would have given my eye teeth for this dress! adult me still thinks it’s cool 🙂
Here here! I am a 5 year old in a 50 year body!
yeah as soon as I saw that on Twitter I started shaking my head. she really is just oblivious to the outside world and how people may perceive her.
I really wish she would own up to the victimhood thing that she does but it’ll never happen. she doesn’t understand that the reason that people turned on her was because she was outed as a liar. ridiculous.
Brendon is game. I appreciate him now. Perform with Swift and do the coreography?! Ha!
Ps: what’s the point in singing in a music award if you are going to lip sync?
FFS. Stevie Nicks did the d*mn marching band or a drumline, then Madonna, then a bunch of other artists before Bey and Tay even came onto the scene. I’m sure there were Black artists before Stevie.
Bey was obviously honoring HBCU with her drumline; Taylor’s was not. And yeah, I dislike having to defend Swift’s basic performance but she’s definitely used marching bands in her music videos before & the song itself has drums.
Stan twitter is so d*mn tiresome. Black artists are stolen from all the time, and it’s infuriating. It’s a big as* reach to make it in this case, tho, imo. And if we really want to talk about stealing, well, Bey’s hardly got ground to stand on either if you consider it a rip off. Bey’s allegedly stolen a sh*t ton from other artists over the years to the point that Frank Ocean even called her out on it before he backtracked and worked with her. Lemonade also straight up lifted several scenes from “Daughters of Dust,” but considering how Bey’s been elevated to nearly untouchable except for the right wing racist media it was seen as “inspiring” or Bey bringing light to the film for the most part instead of a straight up rip off…which only a few dared point out.
And before someone comes for me, I’m a Black woman who finds Taylor to be basic as h*ll. Not in her fanbase at all, but I’ve heard her songs before because she’s everywhere. But as much as I find her meh, the hyperbolic overreaction to her post Snake-gate is ridiculous.
Word.
Well said.
Swift also did the whole marching band thing in a previous video (you belong with me I think?) – as did Urie in Nine in the Afternoon. It’s not like they saw Beyonce after never having done anything remotely like that before and thought “Huh. Let’s steal it”.
I know that SO much shit gets stolen from black artists, and it’s ridiculous. But I also think that there’s a certain trend of putting Beyonce (who is an insanely talented performer) on a pedestal as if she’s the first one to have ever done…. anything. And it’s not healthy.
Exactly. I can’t stand bubblegum pop, but the marching band thing has accompanied musicians as props and actual song enhancement since there have been marching bands. Apparently Paltrow isn’t the only entity thinking the world started when she was born. In fact, I think America suffers from ‘Me-itis’ and selective memory.
I don’t think anyone believes Beyonce invented the drumline or did it first. But considering the fact that one of Tay Tay’s videos from her last album bore a more than passing resemblance to images from Formation and she got dragged for that, and Kanye already had to bestir himself during an awards show to tell her to her face that she wasn’t worthy of Queen Bey, one would think that she’d make a concerted effort not to look like anything she was doing was copying anything Beyonce was doing. I would want to avoid all comparisons at all costs, personally.
I get that–I do feel like she copied Formation.
But a drumline is a different thing altogether. Lots of artists have done that, as has Taylor over the years.
Why should she? Beyonce blantently ripped off Fosse (and others) and Kanye West’s sinks are flat. These are ridiculous people. This is free publicity for Taylor and it’s priceless.
Good points!!
I just wanted to say though, that in the case of Lemonade and Daughters of the Dust – the director of that film was thrilled by Beyonce’s homage and Lemonade and the subsequent attention on the film led to the film being restored and re-released on its 25th anniversary. So it was a really positive result for the film and filmmaker.
I do think there are other instances where she borrows or forces in an undeserved credit though.
Mayochella indeed. Also Does anyone else think that her new aesthetic (sugary kitsch) is ripping Katy Perry?
Yes.
I’ve been thinking Katy Perry too. She’s ripped people off before but her fans and people who infantile her will defend her, so she’ll keep doing what she’s doing.
It’s insane how much she gets away with it. There are plenty of instances of her “borrowing” lines from other songs to make her own and she’s never been seriously called on it. She was also ‘inspired’ by the rhythm of other songs at least once; compare Wildest Dreams to Lana Del Ray’s Without You for example.
To me both this dress (which is super cute) and her video for ‘Me!’ seem like Ariana Grande’s style.
she has the right to wear pink and be sweet. katy doesn’t own the colours nor the sentiment.
also, she is fun, positive and I looooove her legs. she sings well too, I thought she was worse live.
Well, she was lip syncing last night so there’s that.
Ugh, I just don’t have it in me today to get up in arms over who owns marching bands. The beyhive needs to have some seats.
It’s early here and all I could think at first was what kind of insult is May-chella because she performed in May?
Hard pass on the ruffles but her legs look amazing!
She really does have great legs.
Mayochella – stringed instrument covered with an egg and oil mixture. Kinda fits.
i hate the dress but her legs really do look fantastic in it
Look, as an artist, if it’s not authentic it’s going to show, and it shows.
Totally. Others have used drum lines to better effect, not just Beyoncé, but this seems slapped on to a song that doesn’t really work with it. And the choreography is just weak, along with the singing. Taylor has no rhythm and can’t pull off what Lady Gaga or Madonna does.
She’s embarrassing. Her outfit is missing the bottom half. I can think of a dozen ideas that would tone down the attack of strategically wrapped Elizabethan ruffle madness lol.
I like her shoes.
MAyochella 🙂 Basic Becky all the time. And she still can’t let it go. 3 years. God. She is really mentaly 12 yo. Forever 12.
And she sill promo her new album and this Cats awfull movie. We will have Mayochella all this year 🙂
I just happened to be flipping channels (yes, I’m an old and still do that sometimes) and caught some of this mediocrity. She looked more natural than when they shot the video BUT by far the best part was the cutaway after. They went to the Jonas Bros and their wives/gfs, and Sansa Stark gave the most delicious “what did I just watch” faces. Too funny. Someone has to have the gif somewhere.
Gorgeous gowns, beautiful gowns.
Best comment.
Her face looks so plastic.
She had a work done, but her fans will tell you that is only a litlle of fat 🙂 and now she is almast skinny again and her boobs lokks so fake now.
She’s slim or course but not skinny. She has more.fullness through her legs than she did brfore and it looks great
Yeah she’s had work done around her eyes and nose. I like her hair colour and style, suits her.
Eh, I don’t really think she purposely copied Beyoncé. It was just very unfortunate she did this right after Homecoming, people were obviously going to compare both. And well, Bey is arguably the best performer alive so… also my fav tweet about his was the person who said “Homegoing”.
Anyway, I think Taylor looks beautiful but this performance was so childish and the song is still awful.
Meh. As the proud parent of two HS marching band kids, I’m just glad to see mainstream music showing marching band some love. I could care less who did it first.
I’m a marching band mom too! Boyspawn does tenor drums and Girlspawn is a piper.
I have never been a fan of Taylor Swift but this song is so bad and the performance is just completely embarrassing. For me this song and the aesthetics she chooses is something that a 14 or 16 year old girl would have chosen for her first album.
Some successful artists like Kate Perry manage to possess this very girly and childish aesthetic without being embarrassing, but this is not the case for Swift.
Katy’s aesthetic isn’t embarrassing? 😂 Remember when she shot whipped cream out of her boobs?
Beyoncé wanted to bring the HBCU experience to Coachella. That’s why the marching band, the drumline, the steppers, even the costumes and choreography were so integral. It was a very deliberate statement crafted to celebrate and elevate a specific black experience in America. Whether intentional or not, yes, this looks like Tay is trying to put elements into her performance that are reductive.
Look, if you get what Homecoming and Beychella were about, you get it. If you don’t you don’t. To each their own.
Funny how no one’s replied to your post Enn. A shame because you nailed perfectly what the issue is.
I went to a HBCU, and the bands are not the same. I get what Beyonce was trying to promote. Our bands and performances are nothing like what Taylor or Stevie promoted. Beautiful gowns…..
@ENN – EXACTLY!!!! ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE TRUTH.
Look, if you’re gonna do something that was done recently to great fanfare then come with it and don’t be surprised there are comparisons.
Tay Tay just ain’t that good. She’s not capable of making something her own.
So basic.
Good lord. There are drums featured prominently in the actual recorded song. It is not weird at all to have a drumline for this performance.
Her red carpet dress was ridiculous but I really enjoyed the performance. Her and Brendon have cute chemistry and seemed to be having a really fun time.
Me! Has drumlines and the video has marching bands. Hence the live performance featured both. Not everything is about Beyoncé, no matter what the beyhive likes to think.
It reminds me more of Hollaback Girl
I’on care if I planned my staging MONTHS AGO…the biggest musical act…basically in the WORLD come out with a theme that’s close to MINES in a time period that is SO CLOSE TO MY PERFORMANCE? I’m gonna do WHATEVER I have to do to change my game up so that I don’t have any problems….
That’s just common sense…
PERIOD!
Yes ma’am!
So she’s clearly selling those bags, eh?
For God’s sake Beyonce didn’t invent the drumline ! Beyonce is known to use ideas that have been done before as well.
Quite frequently
When I saw the pastel getup and the whole thing, my first thought was that she was copying Beyonce.
Wow so Beyoncé invented using drum lines in music and anyone after her using drum lines is a copycat. Um OK. The “beyhive” might be the most extra fan base in existence.
I’m as woke as they come, but, sorry, the term “mayo” as a term for a white person is offensive. It’s not necessary to disparage someone’s appearance in order to name and call out white privilege.
It’s a reference to blandness.
Urban dictionary defines it as a derogatory term for white people so there seems to be some confusion oñ the issue
Um, I don’t think so. That’s not how it’s used. I’m familiar with it as a derogatory term for white people. Taylor Swift certainly is bland but that’s not why people are calling her “mayo.”
K.
I believe this is one of those instances that a phrase started in the black community is misinterpreted by another community. The term is a reference to the highest levels of vanilla-blandness contributed to certain and specific behaviors enacted by a Caucasian person. It is not a derogatory term, but it can be used as commentary.
Does Beyonce have copyright ownership over drums now or something? Also, do we think her new album name is going to be called “Pastel”? She said the album name was in the music video and it was the most obvious but no one had guessed it yet. That whole music video and all of her recent outfits f*** screams pastel lol.
I had secondhand embarrassment for her- it was so juvenile looking, like a pep-rally type of thing and not a major performance. I was cringing. And she looked awkward in the performance, not confident like her usual self and look to be lip synching? That song is like going back 5+ years for her, boring. She is phoning it in on that song, sounds like something she did when she was 20. Her red carpet dress as horrible, like too much icing on a cake, gave me a toothache!
The two women are two separate people, with their own audiences and talents and MY GOD! Can we not pit successful women against each other? PLEASE.
No one can use any INSTRUMENT or MUSICAL TRADITION or COLOR that anyone else has ever used?
Stan-dom is pathetic.
Signed, a creative, independent artist who will knowingly and lovingly be influenced by other artists which is PERFECTLY FINE.
Has anyone listened to “ME!” and then listened to “Next to Me” by Emeli Sande? London Heart Radio keeps comparing ME to Roar, but nah, it’s Next To Me where you hear the similarities. I think Tay might have to open her checkbook to Ms. Sande.
Absolutely. The first time I heard ME, I immediately thought of Next to Me. Taylor’s stans are trying to say she sampled it, but there is no writer’s credit given to Sande, so it seems like a straight lift.
I don’t think they are that similar but thanks for reminding me of this bomb song, love it.
I never thought about it until you mentioned it but I can definitely hear it with the chorus! I loved that song and had forgotten about it. Just re-added it to my Spotify playlist.
It’s the 4-Chord Theory. It’s why all pop songs kinda sound the same. Pretty interesting stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOlDewpCfZQ
Beyoncé did not invent drum lines. So stupid. So many other artist have used drum lines for a zillion decades. Next.
Shout out to JC Chasez. Who else remembers his solo video? https://youtu.be/l_E1SIayy9U
YESSS!!! I remember his video because I was low key hype when he was going to be a solo artist.
Get your own stuff…only one Beyoncé
I feel bad for everyone in this marching band. I’m sure individually they are all stellar but this is a mess. No energy, off-beat. Taylor is really really phoning it in and giant pageant-y smiles don’t change that
Pop stars are far from original. Her video makes me thinks it’s Mary Poppins, Austin Powers, Dua Lipa (suits), Beyoncé, Wizard of Oz. Pop is so generic and unoriginal. But I guess that’s where the money is.
I wish her relationships were as fun and quirky as that duett with Brendon Urie – something positive with a sprinkle of humor, thats something that’s missing in pop culture at the moment.
Thanks a lot for the Tonya Harding comparison…it’s all I can see now when I look at her with that ponytail and skater-outfit dresses. Yikes.
I think it’s bad timing to do a similar theme to Beyonce. It reminds me of when Pink, Britney and Chrsitina all had the “circus” theme at pretty much the same time. Regardless, it all comes down to the quality of the music…and Taylor, this song ain’t it.
Bye Taylor Swift this drum line shit was boring and weak as fuck.
Did Beyoncé invent the drum line? Ive been critical enough about Taylor on here so you know I’m not a stan or even an average fan but the outrage is ridiculous.
Meh, the song has a line in it, “strike up the band.” And I doubt the song and concept for the video was thrown together just in the short time since ‘Homecoming’ was released. If she did intentionally copy, she got the idea from Coachella itself, not Homecoming. But I do think the comparison is reaching. The timing was unfortunate, but I don’t think it was intentional.