Beyoncé or Taylor Swift – Bigger after 17 years into their careers?

[Isaiah]

28 minutes ago, Rotunda said:

Hive but Taylor 

 

If Bey played the chart game in the 2010s it’d be closer but still Taylor. 

Swiftie but I really like and respect Beyonce here; tbh, im not entirely sure I agree.

I think pivoting away from the chart game and transcending into this "queen" role who's "above the chart games" is what made self-titled and lemonade such successes. She clearly played the game very successfully from DIL-IASF, but she was still very much playing the commercial game during the 4 era, and she hit a wall there. I think had she kept trend chasing & playing into charts she would've just faded off into "old news" territory, but the re-brand and breaking of conventions is what made self-titled -> lemonade such a big resurgence. 

 

case in point: I know 4 leaked, but it doing 310k in a full 2011 week, VS self-titled doing 617k in just 3 days says a lot; she didn't garner any favor or new fans throughout the 4 era, it was mostly the dramatic shift in branding and shock-factor that re-sparked interest.

Edited March 7, 2023 by Isaiah

[montacelo]

Taylor has her rabid fan base, so overall I think Beyonce

[WildHeart]

21 minutes ago, montacelo said:

Taylor has her rabid fan base, so overall I think Beyonce

If her fanbase is bigger than other artists' GP support... doesn't that mean Taylor's fanbase is actually GP? 

 

OT : Taylor 

[Hunter_13]

Taylor. What kinda question. 

[Trent W]

They are around the same Taylor is bigger in numbers

 

Beyonce is a bigger legend in terms of acclaim and respect, in the ST it was unquestionable 

 

I honestly can’t put one on top of the other because they are big in different areas.

[Bang Up]

Taylor in every measurable way. 
we have seen time and time again how Beyoncé’s success is largely manufactured through her PR team. From payola’ing a lead single to #1 to forcing people into being afraid to give her a poor review, 90% of the “she’s queen” narrative is entirely manufactured. 
 

If Beyoncé’s “she’s the best” narrative was actually how people felt in the real world, she would be the one selling the way Taylor sells. But she doesn’t sell like that because the adoration people have for Bey begins and ends on the internet where people bandwagon her for internet points. 

[Trent W]

56 minutes ago, Isaiah said:

Swiftie but I really like and respect Beyonce here; tbh, im not entirely sure I agree.

I think pivoting away from the chart game and transcending into this "queen" role who's "above the chart games" is what made self-titled and lemonade such successes. She clearly played the game very successfully from DIL-IASF, but she was still very much playing the commercial game during the 4 era, and she hit a wall there. I think had she kept trend chasing & playing into charts she would've just faded off into "old news" territory, but the re-brand and breaking of conventions is what made self-titled -> lemonade such a big resurgence. 

 

case in point: I know 4 leaked, but it doing 310k in a full 2011 week, VS self-titled doing 617k in just 3 days says a lot; she didn't garner any favor or new fans throughout the 4 era, it was mostly the dramatic shift in branding and shock-factor that re-sparked interest.

I kind of agree with some points, but Beyonce went too too far trying not to chart.

 

Hiding the formation video and making sure it didn’t go number 1 was something else.

 

She has been ridiculous since ST with the self sabotage. The Renaissance visuals are proof

 

I completely agree that if ST was a chart-chasing album and she gave interviews and perform everywhere, she would be on Xtina, Pink, Britney cuerent status.

 

She benefited from the inaccessibility 

[cruelhprince]

I mean...

[Ryan]

2 hours ago, Juanny said:

About equal. 

 

1 hour ago, Rotunda said:

Hive but Taylor 

 

If Bey played the chart game in the 2010s it’d be closer but still Taylor. 

Both of these. Beyoncé hasn’t promoted any album traditionally since IV, drops her albums without much prior press and goes about her business, yet still produces really good numbers. 
 

Whereas Taylor puts in all the work + chart tactics which leads to major success. 

[sasashite]

Taylor 

[Donquizote]

Ms Taylor sweetie....

Taylor has been bigger than Beyonce since she released Red. 

It didnt take her 17 years to surpass Beyonce

[Archetype]

Both have incredible careers but Taylor is bigger at the 17 year mark.  The fact that Beyonce put out trash song BMS and it became a multi-week #1 smash is crazy and shows how powerful she is even if she’s lazier than almost all other pop girls.    Taylor finds success with almost everything with minimal personal effort, so it’ll be exciting to see if she stays consistent over the next ten years somehow.

Edited March 8, 2023 by Archetype

[The Music Industry]

Deep down everyone knows it's Taylor let's be real

 

[SwiftLover]

I know who isn’t bigger than either…

 

[Azulito]

Beyonce

[Xtianlofbritney]

Taylor by miles 

[Xtianlofbritney]

39 minutes ago, Bang Up said:

Taylor in every measurable way. 
we have seen time and time again how Beyoncé’s success is largely manufactured through her PR team. From payola’ing a lead single to #1 to forcing people into being afraid to give her a poor review, 90% of the “she’s queen” narrative is entirely manufactured. 
 

If Beyoncé’s “she’s the best” narrative was actually how people felt in the real world, she would be the one selling the way Taylor sells. But she doesn’t sell like that because the adoration people have for Bey begins and ends on the internet where people bandwagon her for internet points. 

End thread 

[kimberly]

1 hour ago, Rotunda said:

Hive but Taylor 

 

If Bey played the chart game in the 2010s it’d be closer but still Taylor. 

 

this is kinda pointless. biggest Black woman and white woman. obviously the one who caters to pop audiences and white listeners is going to be bigger. and that is not to take away from Taylor's success, it's just the truth.

 

although 2013 Beyoncé breaking iTunes sales records and changing the day new music drops forever is a huge flex, Taylor Swift breaking Ticketmaster and occupying the entire Top 10 of the Hot 100 is equally impressive.

 

I'll see y'all at The Eras Tour & Renaissance World Tour this summer 

[Brikenbur]

Beyoncé. Beyoncé’s name is bigger. She was iconic and compared to the greats within her first 17 years. Her performances and songs were instant classics. Taylor hasn’t come close to that recognition yet despite her multiple AOTY awards and 1M+ first week sales, so 

 

Also, why are y’all constantly comparing an R&B singer who has multiple crossover successes to a mostly mainstream pop girl with a completely different audience/demographic? 

[satellites.™]

Beyonce, she has stamped every corner of the industry, not just music.

 

This is someone who has OPENED films, had multiple clothing lines be successful and survived multiple generations of girls.

 

And thats up to that point, not even counting Coachella and what came after. 

 

[Soda Pop Queen]

lol one thing I will say is Beyoncé is the only female from her era that y'all are consistently pitting these younger women against. I think that speaks volumes in and of itself. It's kinda giving 90s when several younger women were putting their foot on Madonna's neck but she still was somehow the benchmark to be measured against for years. Taylor is "bigger" mainly because she's a giant standing on the shoulders of giants. 

Edited March 8, 2023 by Soda Pop Queen

[Diocles]

Taylor is global and her music is actually relevant. 

[*-ChriZ-*]

Beyonce is a risk taker, Taylor is not.

Beyonce is black, Taylor is not.

Taylor sells more, Bey is more important.

 

[on the line]

Not everyone can win album of the year multiple times. Or once. 

[Darkgalord]

2 hours ago, Hunter_13 said:

Taylor. What kinda question.