Jay-Z set Twitter on fire this week when he compared his wife, Beyoncé, to Michael Jackson.
During a Twitter Spaces chat with Alicia Keys and host Rob Markman, The Harder They Fall executive producer said, “Bey’s gonna be mad at this for saying this, but Michael Jackson never had a Coachella,” referring to Beyoncé’s epic performance at the 2018 Coachella Festival.
“She’s an evolution of him because she watched him at 9. And the kids are the same,” the rapper added. “Find me a concert that’s as culturally relevant and thrilling as Coachella. …Beyoncé is gonna be one of the best singers we ever heard because she is such a student.”
Reactions were fast and furious, predictably divided between fans of The King of Pop, and the Beyhive.
“I Love Beyoncé but don’t take it too far saying she’s better than Michael Jackson,” one MJ fan wrote.
Another tweeted, “Respectfully Michael Jackson never needed anything like Coachella throughout his lifetime. Michael Jackson has had double the audience of anything Beyoncé ever had. mj had people literally fainting and being transported on stretchers…no offense but MJ is unmatched,”
Queen Bey’s followers struck back.
“Beyoncé was pregnant & singing upside down at FWT [Formation World Tour], pregnant & throwing up when she did Glastonbury, sick when she sang her face off at Oprah’s show. Michael Jackson sprained his ankle & did an entire performance sitting down & lip-syncing for his life. the bar is SO low for men. TUH,” wrote a member of the Beyhive.
“Beyoncé is more talented than Michael Jackson. y’all just love to demote her talent because she is a woman. If Beyoncé was a man y’all wouldn’t be saying this,” added another Beyoncé fan.
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