Love or hate her, everyone’s talking about her new video.
Taylor Swift debuted her much-anticipated music video for “Look What You Made Me Do” Sunday at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Ahead of the premiere, a 20-second teaser for the video offered a taste of what was to come.
Some Twitter users pointed out the similarities between certain shots in the clip and visuals from Beyoncé’s Lemonade. It wasn’t long before memes circulated that remixed white people-isms to popular Beyoncé lyrics.
https://twitter.com/karyewest/status/901057314366599169
"My daddy Pennsylvania,
— Marcia Belsky (@MarciaBelsky) August 25, 2017
momma from Pennsylvania,
You mix that Pennsyl with a Vania I am from Pennylvaniaaaa" pic.twitter.com/uJZ2K9fJX7
"You haters corny for seasoning your chicken" pic.twitter.com/1Ag7ImgscN
— Mahogany Neighwood (@KiingJohnDoe) August 25, 2017
https://twitter.com/SheHatesJacoby/status/901072923880017920
The memes were so intense that the director of the “Look What You Made Me Do” music video, Joseph Kahn, took to Twitter to defend the originality of the content. He denied that he took any inspiration from Lemonade.
https://twitter.com/JosephKahn/status/901272624055042048
https://twitter.com/JosephKahn/status/901277684637900800
The premiere of the full video at Sunday night’s VMAs brought praise from fans across the world.
Honestly the #LookWhatYouMadeMeDo made me feel so many ways and I need a minute
— Megan Mace (@meganmace) August 28, 2017
It also brought more speculation about possible references… or rip-offs.
Shots showed Swift on a gold throne, in a gold birdcage, emerging from a gold sports car—and sitting in a bathtub full of diamonds.
https://twitter.com/Lyricoldrap/status/901966177790021632
Fans were especially upset about the ending of the video, which shows Swift costumes and personalities from bygone eras.
But, as some were quick to point out, she isn’t the first artist to use this trope in a music video. And guess who did it first.
when you see it online vs when you try it on for the first time#VMAs pic.twitter.com/BZskKjRT24
— The FADER (@thefader) August 28, 2017
A Pepsi commercial from 2003 showed multiple Beyoncés singing and dancing in costumes from her different music videos over the years.
And here’s one last icon Swift may or may not have intentionally copied.
https://twitter.com/gentIyweeps/status/901965324291104769
Watch the full “Look What You Made Me Do” video below.