It finally happened. Cardi B.'s single, "Bodak Yellow" has taken the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. In doing this, Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" ended up dropping two spots after this. It's a huge deal, and it's the first time since 1998 that a black woman with no features on a track hit the number one spot. So why is it that so many people are listening to music from Cardi B. than they are Taylor Swift?
Cardi B.'s authenticity
Cardi B. is an artist that many of us can relate to. Aside from her role on "Love & Hip-hop," she was a dancer before she was famous.
She worked hard for what she wanted, even if that meant taking on a job that isn't respected. Fans respect her music for its realness, which is the same reason that they respect her. She is relatable and raps about a lot of things that many fans know are true.
Over the past couple of years, people have become very aware of issues going on in the world, and people are really starting to care about certain subjects. People like to see their favorite celebrities take a stand that they agree with. Cardi B. is a very vocal woman. This means a lot to a lot of people to see a young, black woman taking on so much at a time and still fighting for what is right. Cardi B. has taken a stand on a lot of racially charged issues, particularly police brutality, and it's something that her fans love.
Meanwhile, many white, female pop stars don't use their platform to take a stand. They stay in the gray area, not wanting to lose fans or sales. That's where Taylor Swift comes in.
Taylor Swift making herself the victim
Taylor Swift has been in the media's eye for almost 10 years now. Most of her music began as the teenage girl, having her heartbroken and searching for love.
Over the course of almost a decade, her music hasn't changed much. Her latest single, "Look What You Made Me Do," is a statement against Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, and it labels herself as a victim.
The drama between Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, and Taylor swift happened last year. Taylor painted herself the victim when Kanye used her name in a song.
However, Taylor had already told Kanye that it was okay for him to do that. Kim called Taylor out, and drama ensued. Taylor Swift was branded a snake. This is the image that Taylor is now taking back for herself. She wants control of her own image again, regardless of how she has to get it back.
When it comes to taking a stand, Taylor Swift has never taken a stand unless it brought her more sales and more press coverage. She isn't open with her politics or how she really feels about certain things going on today. She only uses the ideas of feminism when they help her succeed. She has the right to stay silent about her views, but many fans are catching on to how she uses her views for money.
With so many changes happening on the pop culture front, artists like Taylor Swift are going to have a hard time keeping up.