TikTok’s ‘Thank You, Beyoncé’ Meme, Explained

TikTok users are having fun with a meme in which they make sure to thank Beyoncé, in something of a satirical conspiracy theory that proposes that the singer wields tremendous, almost godlike power.

What Is The ‘Thank You, Beyoncé’ Meme?

Beyoncé is a highly respected and accomplished figure in the music industry, and is often mentioned during award ceremonies.

TikTok users noticed a pattern, pointing out that major artists often mention or thank Beyoncé during acceptance speeches, even for albums created without Beyoncé’s involvement.

TikTokers started to copy the trend, making comedy skits about the importance of thanking Beyoncé after just about any occasion; sneezing, or before submitting an assignment, lest bad luck befall them.

Some made memes about the perils of skipping a Beyoncé song on Spotify.

Artists Often Thank Beyoncé On Stage

In 2017, Adele won Album of the Year at the Grammys and during her emotional speech, she attributed Beyoncé as a major inspiration, describing her as the “artist of my life.”

Later that night, Adele accidentally broke her Grammy and needed a replacement. Photos of Adele holding the shattered award sparked rumors that she had purposely broken her Grammy in half to share with Beyoncé.

The story was a fabrication and was soon debunked, but has now been revitalized on TikTok (the urban legend was seemingly inspired by a similar scene from Mean Girls).

Lizzo in 2023 and Jay-Z in 2024 also thanked Beyoncé during their Grammy speeches (although, the latter is hardly surprising, as Jay-Z is married to Beyoncé).

Even the infamous, much-memed moment when Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift during her 2009 acceptance speech at the VMAs was brought up as an example of Beyoncé’s supposed power, as West said:

“I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!”

Singers paying tribute to an artist they respect isn’t anything out of the ordinary, but compilations of the award ceremony clips lead to speculation that artists “fear” the singer, which morphed into the “Thank You, Beyoncé” meme.

Where Did The ‘Thank You, Beyoncé’ Meme Come From?

The meme appears to have originated from a bizarre stew of conspiracy theories about Beyoncé and Jay-Z, some of which are several years old, and given new life by the recent accusations against Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Like Madonna, Beyoncé has often used religious and historical iconography in her music videos, which fueled surreal conspiracy theories that the singer is secretly Italian, and communicating via symbolism, a bit like The Da Vinci Code (in the mind of conspiracy theorists, set dressing is the preferred communication medium of the powerful).

This way of thinking was succinctly satirized by comedian Nick Mullen, who joked:

"Ok, the plan’s ready to go … there's just one step left—the clues!"

Hence, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, the power couple of the music industry, have attracted enough conspiracy-brained narratives to inspire “Thank you, Beyoncé,” a conspiracy-turned-meme.

It didn’t take long for the meme to escape TikTok.

Even the brands started getting in on it.

Ironically, Beyoncé is often framed as a divine figure in her music videos, and now her name is being invoked like a superstition, as though saying it out loud brings good luck.

Whatever you do after reading this article, make sure to thank Beyoncé.

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