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Taylor Swift Accused of Ripping Off Beyoncé at Billboard Music Awards

Fans of Beyoncé were quick to speculate whether Swift took inspiration from Beyoncé's April 2018 Coachella set

Taylor Swift is drumming up controversy.

The pop star's performance Wednesday night at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, in which she incorporated a marching band, has drawn comparisons to Beyoncé's 2018 Coachella festival set — and led some social media users to accuse her of cultural appropriation and being a copycat.

Swift opened her new single "Me!" with a marching band dressed in pink. She then appeared on stage, striking a pose.

Both women have a loyal legion of fans, known as the Beyhive and Swifties, respectively, who went on the attack on social media.

Fans of Beyoncé, who was not at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, were quick to speculate whether Swift took inspiration from Beyoncé's April 2018 Coachella set, where the R&B megastar transformed the stage into a "Homecoming" celebration. Beyoncé was the first black woman to headline the festival.

Beyoncé, in tradition with the culture and pride of HBCUs (historically black college and universities), was accompanied by uniformed marching drummers, majorette dancers, steppers and other performers. The nearly two hour performance was the subject of a Netflix documentary, "Homecoming," that debuted last month.

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