DETHRONING THE QUEEN B(EY): Say my name, say my thanks

Ever wonder how much of what we see—whether on screens or in the real world—is truly real? While schools teach theories like Newton’s gravity or Darwin’s evolution as cornerstones of science, they still spark debate about where fact ends and speculation begins.

Hollywood, meanwhile, lives in the gray area, feeding us rumors and conspiracies: actors in secret cults, fame bought at a dark price. Some tales are dismissed as harmless fun, others raise unsettling questions. It’s all part of the mystery, daring us to question—what’s real, and what’s just a story we’re told to believe?

Beyoncé, or Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, a widely renowned actress, songwriter, and a singer. She has a record-breaking title of being The Most Awarded Artist in Grammy History, after 32 Grammy wins, and other notable awards from MTV Video Music Awards, BET Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and etc. However, why would this highly respected, and recognized woman in the music industry face such alarming accusations?

“She knows.” the viral J. Cole song that circulates on every social media platform, particularly on Tiktok. It is associated with a conspiracy theory about the said mainstream media artist, and her affiliation to P. Diddy, or Sean John Combs, who is involved in legal issues throughout his career, including assaults, civil lawsuits, and etc.

The lyrics of the said song includes “Rest in peace to Aaliyah, rest in peace to Left eye.” On which it pertains to Aaliyah, the singer who died from a plane crash on August 25, 2001, and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, a member of an R&B group, TLC, who tragically passed from a car accident on April 25, 2002. Additionally, another crazy coincidence was the “She knows” itself, which sounds similar to P. Diddy’s first name, “Sean”, and Beyoncé’s surname, “Knowles”. However, with all of those being said, the bottom line was those said artists were the one involved in their cause of death. But with these groundless, yet disturbing accusations, how can the FBI dismiss it? It is because it is nothing but rumors.

These wild imaginations of netizens produced countless edited videos of mainstream artists saying “Thank you, Beyoncé.” During their speech after winning a Grammy, with the said trending sound in the background- emphasizing that it should be done to “save their lives” from Beyoncé. And then suddenly, saying “thank you” is more than just an expression of gratitude.

Another viewpoint for a different issue opened as the Beyoncé-P. Diddy case started revolving on social media. In recapitulation, at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Taylor Swift and Kanye West’s long-standing, and still ongoing controversy fueled the fire. West faced the backlash from Taylor Swift’s fandom, Swifties. These avid listeners despised West after he “disrespecting” the said female artist when he infamously interrupted her speech for “Best Female Video”. He pointed out that Beyoncé has one of the best female videos of all time. After the “Thank you Beyoncé.” trend, is his act still considered pathetic, perhaps heroic.

With these baseless allegations, it really does alter our minds into thinking that she is the mastermind, the woman who holds the music industry in the grip of her palm, as someone you cannot outshine, or else she will commit the unthinkable. We sometimes forget that she could also be empowering, and inspiring to many.

People are no stranger to how superstitions define a specific reaction. Here in the Philippines, whenever a friend states something that could incite an unwanted event, people would tell them to knock on wood. This can be attributed to how Pagan cultures believe that spirits and gods resided in trees thus knocking on tree trunks would rouse their spirits to “call their protection.” For Christians specifically, this can be linked to the wood used for Christ’s crucifix.

The “Thank you, Beyonce” trend has somewhat assumed the same reaction as people (although playfully) state their thanks to the popstar so that they would save themselves. This can be based on how artists who win the Grammy’s Album of the Year, of which Beyonce has never won, thank the singer-songwriter in their speeches.

One well-known example would be how Adele extensively thanked Beyonce last 2012 to the point that she split the trophy itself so that it could be shared between her and the American pop icon. This jokingly became a reason as to why Adele was “safe” despite winning against Queen Bey.

The same can be said to Lizzo who seemed to reserve her Grammy speech by thanking Beyonce for being an inspiration. What once was seen as a sweet moment between an idol and fan, is now pictured as a way to avoid the threat of taking the glory from the star icon.

Despite the alarming nature of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ actions, TikTok has found its new favorite phrase. From mundane things like concluding your school presentation to an expression of praise before sleeping – netizens are quick to find ways to jump on the bandwagon.

Influencers with large followings have also extended their gratitude to Queen Bey. Filipino Drag Queen, Maxie Andreison, even thanked Beyonce after celebrating Maxie’s birthday in one of Drag Race Philippines’ tours. Even the Chinese-Filipino TikTok Live star, Benedict Cua, jokingly thanked Beyonce in a livestream with Perlas, Vrix Gallano, and Jenny Chua.

This saying has even been uttered not only by influencers or TikTokers, but by corporations themselves. The low-cost Irish airline company, Ryanair, has even joined the trend after reposting an X post.

Beyonce has often framed herself as a divine figure in her music videos and the iconography of the pop star only reinforces her notoriety in the celebrity scene. With the influence of this singer, it is no wonder why people give gratitude to her name like a saving grace.

Although Diddy has yet to stand trial for his racketeering, conspiracy, sex trafficking, and prostitution charges with Beyonce allegedly being related to the case, the controversy has already left a mark in the internet through the “Thank You, Beyonce” meme.

In a world where fame often borders on reverence, figures like Beyonce illustrate the duality of celebrity culture, leaving us to question the balance between idolization and accountability. While an ideal society may project celebrities as this idol of admiration, reality posits how the humanity of an icon can make them do inhumane acts. Perhaps, this trend of thanking the American pop star is the internet’s way of coping with the tainting of a beloved idol’s image or means to ignore the horrid conspiracies of their actions.