We’re guessing this hasn’t exactly been the return Taylor Swift envisioned.
First, the singer was criticized for a drawn out tease of her new album, taking three days on Instagram to share various snake-themed videos that got kind of old and obvious right away.
Then, Swift released “Look at What You Made Me Do,” her first single in years.
And people HATED it.
Then, Swift teased the music video that will debut during tonight’s MTV VMAS…
… and a certain segment of the population really let her have it.
Based on Swift’s all-black outfit and the alignment of her backup dances, Taylor is accused of copying Beyonce.
Members of the passionate Beyhive think Swift stole her look and portions of the music video from Beyonce’s “Formation” performance at the Super Bowl and from her video for the track “Lemonade.”
“Lemonade and Minute Maid,” one Internet user wrote rather harshly, while others offered critiques such as the following:
On Friday night, however, Joseph Kahn came to Swift’s defense.
The Grammy-winning director behind Swift’s “Bad Blood” video, as well as Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name” and “Jumpin Jumpin,” Tweeted his reaction to fan speculation that Tay was making like Bey.
“I’ve worked with Beyoncé a few times,” Kahn wrote. “She’s an amazing person. The #LWYMMDvideo is not in her art space. Love and respect to Bey.”
Interesting take and perspective, right?
The shot of Swift and her male dancers all lined up in an elegant ballroom is the one that has Beyonce fans must upset.
“Beyonce played on being a plantation owner in Formation & now that Taylor Swift is ripping from it she’s trying to be one too,” wrote one critic on social media.
And others have been ripping Swift for the way she launched her comeback, for the single itself and then for the video.
“The song is a poor man’s Britney, the video’s gonna be a poor man’s Beyonce,” explained another hater. “Taylor Swift wants to be anyone but Taylor Swift.”
Ouch.
We’ll get a chance to view the entire video on Sunday night at the MTV Video Music Awards.
It’s probably best to withhold judgment until then.
“There’s something to that ‘Formation’ shot I painted out and you haven’t seen yet,” Kahn added on Twitter, teasing the video’s upcoming premiere and writing:
“Stay tuned Sunday #LWYMMDvideo #SneakyAsian.”
We’ll be doing that for sure.
Will you?!?
