Top 10 Times Musicians Clapped Back
#10: Rihanna
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With the rise of picture sharing social media apps, body shaming has become all too common on the Internet. Even internationally recognized celebrities like Rihanna have found themselves targets of such scrutiny. After a 2017 article made fun of her apparent weight gain, the award-winning musician and beauty mogul took time out of her busy schedule, seemingly offering a badass response. Rihanna posted a meme of rapper Gucci Mane at two different periods. It was captioned “if you can’t handle me at my 2007 Gucci Mane, you don’t deserve me at my 2017 Gucci Mane.” More than just a funny rejoinder, it was a statement of resilience and a reminder that no matter what, Rihanna stays winning.
#9: Demi Lovato
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Some musicians have shown that they’re not afraid to come after their fellow celebrities. A prime example of this was the apparent tension between singers Demi Lovato and Halsey. While speaking to Paper Magazine in 2017, Halsey, who is openly bisexual, called out artists who perpetuate biphobic ideas with their songs. Although no names were mentioned, one of the lyric examples referenced was strikingly similar to Demi Lovato’s “Cool for the Summer.” Of course, this was long before Lovato came out as pansexual and genderfluid. It didn’t take long for the singer to seemingly retort with a tweet highlighting the longevity of her hit single. It doesn’t look like there was any long-lasting drama, but the story certainly made headlines.
#8: Dua Lipa
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It’s no secret that photo editing technology has become increasingly popular in this social media age. Whether it’s Photoshop or a filter, it’s now pretty common for people to touch up their pictures before uploading them online. When English artist Dua Lipa posted childhood throwback snaps on Instagram back in 2019, (which have since been deleted), some fans accused her of photoshopping her lips in them. The “Don’t Start Now” singer was obviously ticked off by those comments and wasted no time shutting them down. In a strongly worded post, Lipa slammed the trolls making up those claims, alluding to them being under the influence of a certain chemical agent.
#7: Lorde
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Beloved New Zealand artist Lorde is well-known for taking long breaks in between her musical projects. While this provides her sufficient time to create masterful records, it’s clearly not something that’s appreciated by all her fans. In between her first and second albums, an impatient fan left a snarky comment on Lorde’s instagram asking for updates on the project and threatening to give up on her. Lorde hit back with a firm and level-headed response telling the fan to give up if they wanted to, because she won’t rush her process and compromise the quality of her music. Clearly that process works, as the album in question, “Melodrama,” was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys.
#6: Pink
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The feud between singers Pink and Christina Aguilera can be traced back to their hit 2001 collaboration “Lady Marmalade.” Even though the two have patched things up, some fans still stoke the fires every once in a while. Not everyone was happy when it was announced that Pink would receive the Vanguard Award at the VMAs in 2017. A fan questioned her eligibility, tweeting that her only noteworthy video appearance was as Aguilera’s “backup singer.” Pink responded with a thread clarifying that they had “made amends,” and calling for basic kindness and decency. She however stayed true to her edgy persona, closing things off by referring to the fan as Rip Van Winkle for not having seen her videos – ouch!
#5: Cher
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There are many celebrities you can disrespect on social media without consequence, but this should serve as a lesson that Cher is not one of them. The legendary singer and actress, who’s an avid Twitter user, doesn’t typically let her online detractors down easy. A certain user who challenged the icon when she tweeted about the Trump administration repealing the DACA program learned that the hard way. In her tweet, Cher stated that she would be willing to take DREAMers in herself, and was hit with a sarcastic remark that questioned her claim. The singer definitely made us believe in her clapback skills with her response, telling the individual in question to keep their eyes open.
#4: Lil Nas X
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Georgia-born artist Lil Nas X has mastered the art of going viral. His Halloween costume in 2020 - an impeccable recreation of Nicki Minaj’s iconic “Super Bass” look - generated a lot of online buzz. But while tons of fans adored the ensemble, it seemed to leave a bad taste in the mouths of rappers 50 Cent and Dave East. The two men took to social media to express their distaste for the post, with East even using a homophobic slur. The “Old Town Road” rapper hit back at both of them, questioning why “grown men are waking up to have group discussions” over his Halloween costume. Of course, his fans made sure to back him up too.
#3: Lizzo
Since breaking out into the mainstream with her hit single “Truth Hurts,” Lizzo has gained a reputation as an advocate for body positivity. Often rocking revealing clothes, she has been on the receiving end of multiple harmful body shaming comments over the years. After the music video for her Cardi B-assisted single “Rumors” was met with racist and fatphobic remarks, Lizzo went on Instagram Live to respond to the criticism. The singer, who was overwhelmed by the hurtful comments, had a raw, emotional moment during the session. She also shut down her haters and resolved to only focus on the positive comments going forward — as you should, Lizzo, as you should.
#2: Halsey
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Halsey definitely knows how to deliver a clapback. During her “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom” album cycle, the singer posed for a revealing cover shoot with Playboy magazine. The pictures weren’t everyone’s favorite, as one fan commented on what they perceived as the contradiction between being a feminist and appearing in Playboy. Halsey was having none of it, however. She responded right there in the comments section, listing the monumental things she achieved in that past year alone — all while deciding to be in Playboy. She closed her message with “A woman can be multi dimensional.” Truer words have never been spoken.
#1: Zendaya
Sometimes all it takes is one faceless troll on the Internet for you to land one of the biggest gigs of your life. At least, that was the case for a woman who was body-shamed by a fellow Twitter user for being plus-size. The troll’s tweet traveled far and wide, ultimately landing on the timeline of award-winning actress Zendaya, who gave the ultimate clapback on the target’s behalf. After dragging the offender, Zendaya took it a step further by offering the woman who had been insulted a modeling contract with her label Daya by Zendaya. Now that’s a girlboss move if we’ve ever seen one.
