Whether you aced a test or managed to roll out of bed this morning, don’t forget to say “Thank you, Beyoncé!”
“Thank you, Beyoncé” is a tribute that many famous artists have given after receiving an award, during a speech or even just being thankful for their fanbase. While it’s a nice way of commending Beyoncé for her influence on music, the remark is thought to be said out of fear.
There are many conspiracy theories as to why artists feel the need to thank her, with the most prominent theory suggesting that artists fear being hurt or killed if they don’t.
Junior Eduardo Vicente shares a conspiracy theory circling TikTok, linking artists’ deaths to not saying “Thank you, Beyoncé.”
“When an artist wins an award and they don’t thank Beyoncé, they get killed or something bad happens to them,” Vicente said. “That’s why Elijah got killed in the plane crash, Left Eye got murdered and Michael Jackson got killed.”
Adele is one example of an artist thanking Beyoncé, going as far as breaking her Grammy award to share with Beyoncé to also acknowledge her outstanding work in the music industry.
In 2009, when Taylor Swift won the award for the Best Female Music Video, Kanye West interrupted her speech to also congratulate Beyoncé for her amazing video.
Many theories claim that West saved Swift from her potential death, as no tribute had been paid.
”Supposedly, if you don’t thank Beyoncé when you win something– something bad happens to you,” Vicente said. “That’s why Kanye interrupted Taylor Swift and said Beyoncé had one of the best videos. If not, Taylor Swift might have been killed.”
In her speech, Swift did not intend to thank Beyoncé, as many artists had previously done.
“Thank you so much, I always dreamed about what it would feel like to maybe win one of these someday, but I never actually thought it would happen,” Swift said.
West then interrupts the speech to credit Beyoncé for a job well done.
“Taylor, I’m really happy for you and I’m going to let you finish but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time,” West said.
Many fans believe that at that moment, West saved Swift’s career– or even life– from what may have happened if Beyoncé wasn’t recognized. Many wonder whether we would have had an Era’s Tour at all, or if Left Eye’s fate would be shared with Swift had West not acknowledged Beyoncé.
These conspiracies are all shared and explored on social media, which is where Vicente believes they should stay.
“No one says ‘Thank you, Beyoncé’ outside of the internet,” Vicente says. “It should stay on the internet.
Although this conspiracy has been circling around, there is no validity to it, as shared by Rachel Khutorskoy.
Though she is powerfully portrayed by the media, in reality Beyoncé does not have the influence that many believe she does.
“I do not honestly believe she is this all powerful character that the internet is painting her out to be,” Khutorskoy said.
