Entertainment

Taylor Swift Vs. Bey & Nicki: Who Is #SquadGoals?

by Kadeen Griffiths

In the last couple of days, the Internet has been bombarded with a wave of music videos that have made us question our friendships. On Sunday, during the Billboard Music Awards, Taylor Swift released "Bad Blood," the music video notorious for featuring Swift and every single friend she has ever had or wanted to have ever. On Monday, Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé released "Feeling Myself" on TIDAL (which quickly leaked onto the wider Internet), which featured the pair hanging out on what appears to be literally the greatest friend date ever. While the world at large is permanently envious that they don't have a spot in the Taylor Swift Squad (I see you, Molly Ringwald), Minaj and Beyoncé just gave the TSS a serious run for their money with "Feeling Myself."

It's not that I think that one pair-slash-group of best friends is necessarily better than the other. After all, the pop star did make a fair effort to try and assimilate Beyoncé into Swift's group of friends, although how successful she's been with that still remains to be seen. It's just that different people have different #squadgoals and whether yours are embodied by Swift's "Bad Blood" or by Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj's "Feeling Myself" says a lot about you as a person.

So, what's the deal with your clique? Take a journey with me down comparison lane.

1. Size Of Group

"Bad Blood"

The Taylor Swift Squad is an army large enough to make up two separate sides of what looks like a worldwide conflict in the "Bad Blood" music video — an army that is getting larger every day. If "Bad Blood" is your squad goals, you're the social butterfly type of person who prefers to have no less than 20 best friends to call your own.

"Feeling Myself"

On the other hand, "Feeling Myself" shows off the friendship between Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj, as well as a smaller group of people that they hang out with in their spare time. However, it's clear that it's Minaj and Beyoncé who are running the show here. If "Feeling Myself" is your squad goals, then you're a more private person who has one best friend and then some acquaintances the two of you hang out with when you want to go out.

2. Leadership

"Bad Blood"

The TSS is unequivocally led by Taylor Swift. I mean, duh.

"Feeling Myself"

Is Beyoncé the leader of the Beynaj Squad? Is Minaj the leader of the Beynaj Squad? The correct answer is that they co-lead the squad. It's just the two of them, so there's no need for either one of them to be in control. From "***Flawless (Remix)" to "Feeling Myself," both women have been there for each other equally.

3. Activities

"Bad Blood"

With the TSS, you get to participate in such activities as practicing dangerous stunts with a bunch of different weapons in an underground base while you prepare to go to war.

"Feeling Myself"

With the Beynaj Squad, you get to participate in such activities as feeding each other hamburgers, hanging out in a kiddie pool, and twerking on a car. All while wear fur and jerseys.

4. Membership Requirements

"Bad Blood"

To join the TSS, it's apparently as simple as just asking Swift. That's what Molly Ringwald did at the Billboard Music Awards, and the two were later seen standing together, hugging, and dancing at the same ceremony. Will Ringwald's membership stick? Only time will tell...

"Feeling Myself"

There is no joining the Beynaj Squad. You're either in it, or you're not in it, and you get to spend the rest of your life desperately wishing that you were in it. Exclusivity is the name of the game here, guys, sorry.

5. Theme Song

"Bad Blood"

It's a song (possibly) about how Katy Perry stole her back up dancers on a tour. Yay, friendship?

"Feeling Myself"

It's a song about sex and female empowerment, about loving yourself first and loving a man second. Yay, feminism!

6. Uniform

"Bad Blood"

Black. Badass.

"Feeling Myself"

Black. Badass. (Fur coat).

7. FOMO

"Bad Blood"

The FOMO from "Bad Blood" is intense. Is there a single part of this music video that isn't the coolest thing you've ever seen? The weapons! The see-through car! The Kendrick Lamar. Swift, can I join your group, please?!

"Feeling Myself"

In "Feeling Myself," you get to hang out with Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé. I repeat: you get to hang out with Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé. There is no contest here.

Results

If "Bad Blood" is the name of your game, you're a social person who likes to get a large group of your closest friends together to roleplay out a scenario and have a good old time together. As a bonus, you like to try and entice your own heroes to join in as well, because you dream big and you're willing to take risks. Plus, you super love Taylor Swift. If "Feeling Yourself" is the name of your game, you're private almost to the point of exclusivity, and a hard person to get to know but, once people do get to know you, it's clear that you're actually the coolest person in the world. You're not saying you're Beyoncé or anything, but you understand the comparison. Clearly, you're feeling yourself with your #squadgoals.

Image: YouTube (6); TIDAL (7)