Swifties vs. Kanye West fans quarrel noteworthy

Posted Dec. 3, 2023

By Katie Liang

Features Editor

It was the year 2009 at the MTV Video Music Awards. 19 year old singer and songwriter Taylor Swift was proudly giving her speech after being awarded Best Video by Female Artist when extremely influential and audacious rapper Kanye West (who was raised in Chicago) caused hysteria to break out on the internet by stealing Swift’s microphone mid-speech. He said, “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!” 

West and Swift are undoubtedly two of the most memorable artists of my generation. While it’s impossible to compare rap to pop, their equally exuberant and stubborn fan bases are very much worthy of comparison. No two audiences on the internet have ever quarreled as much as the Swifties and Kanye fans. 

Let’s observe our first demographic: Kanye fanboys. If you Google “Kanye fan starter pack” you’ll see Kanye 2020 presidential campaigns, Yeezys, and phrases that showcase their unequivocal support for the rapper after the numerous controversial statements he made on the internet. But you cannot define a Kanye West fanboy without mentioning their unmitigated dislike for Swift. Keep in mind that the age range for these people is from prepubescent teenager to 30 year old man who resides in their parents’ basement. It’s obvious, at least to a woman, this loathe for Swift is partially rooted in misogyny. She is the paradigm of a stereotypical white lady who makes cheesy pop and country music that is generally frowned upon by rap fans. Kanye’s music is defined by pushing boundaries and incredible production that inspires people of color to break through all the obstacles that are systemically put in place to hinder their success. His charisma and shocking lyrics filled with sexual innuendo is what attracts everyone to his persona. His fanboys see him as a mascot of power, therefore they attempt to adapt his entire personality. 

Onto our latter, Swifties are perceived as the epitome of a “basic white girl.” The type that drinks Starbucks everyday and advocates for white feminism. If you Google “Swiftie starter pack,” you’ll notice a shared abhorrence for Swift’s previous partners. Swifties are innovative partisans. Maybe they aren’t as verbally aggressive as Kanye fanboys, but they can be grim when the time comes. Some may even describe it as “psychotic.” For example, one of Taylor’s exes dated a woman of color before her. Their interracial relationship caused a stir with people bashing the man for “downgrading” and Swifties defending Swift by throwing racist remarks at his old girlfriend. Taylor Swift fans also cannot handle any criticism that she receives by anyone, going as far as leaking haters’ personal information online, known as doxxing. Their behavior is often compared to Beatlemania fanaticism (except The Beatles made better music and it’s not even close, but we all know that). Kanye isn’t brought up much in a Swifties’ conversation, probably because they’re too busy planning their world domination. 

In the Kanye West and Taylor Swift extreme fans venn diagram, there is one similarity these audiences share: loyalty. I wrote this essay while listening to Kanye. But occasionally, I play Taylor’s old discography on aux. The average “white girl music” experience is a way to escape reality and enter a utopia of privilege and bliss. However, “Graduation” is a top tier album. It’s fun listening to both of these undeniably talented musicians without a crazed fan yelling in your ear how one is better than the other.