Have you thanked Beyoncé today?
If you’ve been on TikTok over the past few days, you’ve probably noticed users thanking Beyoncé for seemingly anything. While lots of these posts are seemingly pretty innocent, the root of the new trend is not that great.
There’s a (completely unhinged) theory that celebrities thank Beyoncé at awards shows because the star wields so much godlike power that they bend to her whim. The conspiracy theory started with the passing of Aaliyah, the “Queen of Urban Pop” who redefined contemporary R&B in the 1990s. Some people argue that her passing gave Beyoncé the space to become the icon she is today. In J. Cole’s 2013 song “She Knows,” he mentions Aaliyah’s death. Some of the more deranged TikTok users connect that song with Beyoncé’s friendship with P. Diddy, who has been at the center of conspiracy theories connected to Aaliyah’s death. The theory goes like this: Thank Beyoncé or face the consequences.
Celebrities do tend to thank Beyoncé for a lot. Kanye rushing the stage when Taylor Swift beat Beyoncé for album of the year; Adele losing her gourd over Beyoncé when she won album of the year; Britney Spears, Lizzo, Lady Gaga, the list goes on.
The celebrity thanking has reached TikTok, where users are thanking Beyoncé at Thanksgiving, or for their dog not having cancer, or for… nothing?
Yes, Beyoncé uses a lot of religious iconography — and even some nods to the illuminati — in her songs and music videos. But no, Beyoncé is probably not tied to some horrifying cult of celebrities who murder other celebrities if they don’t thank her on stage.
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