Taylor Swift accused of 'copying' Beyoncé with pool floats in You Need To Calm Down video
Taylor Swift has been accused of “copying” Beyoncé’s Party video with her new release You Need To Calm Down.
Swift this week released the star-studded video for her latest single which is set in a trailer park and a swimming pool.
But some social media users pointed out multiple similarities between Swift’s new video and Beyonce’s accompanying film for her 2011 track Party.
Both are set in trailer parks and feature a scene with the singer relaxing on a pool float, although their outfits were different. Some people have also claimed that some of the shots throughout the video appear to be framed similarly.
Posting a series of collages comparing the two, one user wrote: “If Taylor Swift wants people to stop accusing her of ripping off Beyoncé, maybe she should quit ripping off Beyoncé.
“Her whole 'above-ground pool party in a trailer park' vibe cribs a lot of shots from Bey’s 'Party' video. This is just one example.”
Taylor Swift's new video is actually nice . Can't go wrong combining cool party summer vibes with PRIDE . This one's bound to go #1 girl 😉 .
Ok Google ... Play Beyoncé's "Party" video 😎— JaQues Gary (@Mister__JQ)
Sometimes you copy @Beyonce and it shows...like for real
— DJ (@DJPendejo69)
#YouNeedToCalmDown would be a beautiful (yet opportunistic) salute to the LGBT community if it weren’t a direct rip-off of Beyoncé’s #Party video 🧐 pic.twitter.com/NH3J3taX95
— Miyoncé (@Miata_Shanay)
If Taylor Swift wants people to stop accusing her of ripping off Beyoncé, maybe she should quit ripping off Beyoncé. Her whole “above-ground pool party in a trailer park” vibe cribs a lot of shots from Bey’s “Party” video. This is just one example. pic.twitter.com/VsyUIOWbKe
— Erin Gaetz (@ErinGaetz)
And we see you over there on the internet. Comparing all the girls who are killing it.
We all know now, we all got crowns.
YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN! pic.twitter.com/71HO9toDWN— Devin {LOVER out Aug 23!} 🌈🦋🌴🧡 (@Sllimnived)
Some people didn’t get the message of the song. You need to calm down pic.twitter.com/N9eLCGoZzF
— Julian 🦋 From Argentina/Never met Tay 😔🙏🏻 ME! (@argswiftie13)
okay well beyonce ripped off sharpay evans
— M(addi)E! 🦋 (@_worththedrive)
Elle Woods x Sharpay x Taylor Swift pic.twitter.com/35UwJIynRT
— Audrey YNTCD ON ITUNES (@PetermanAudrey)
Taylor Swift as Sharpay Evans: a thread pic.twitter.com/eftuEEfa5o
— Bea 🦋 | gendrya's fanfiction (@tbskie)
Another said: “#YouNeedToCalmDown would be a beautiful (yet opportunistic) salute to the LGBT community if it weren’t a direct rip-off of Beyoncé’s #Party video.”
But others jumped to Swift’s defence as they pointed out that “Beyoncé does not own pool flats” and that the particular floating scene has been used in many films, including High School Musical and Legally Blonde.
Others referred to the lyrics of the song which are about “pitting women against each other”, and calling for an end to fake fights as “all have crowns” as they urged people to stop accusing Swift of copying.
“When this video was about how they all support one another but here you are TRYING TO LITERALLY PUT WOMEN AGAINST EACHOTHER,” one wrote.
A different tweet read: “Bey and Tay are both queens. Nobody owns any concept.”
Swift’s You Need To Calm Down video is littered with celebrity cameos, from Ellen DeGeneres to Ryan Reynolds.
The video also proved her feud with Katy Perry is over once and for all after the singer appeared in the video dressed as a burger before the pair hugged it out.