Harry Styles has been crowned the ‘new King of Pop’, but not everyone’s thrilled about it.
The legendary Michael Jackson, who passed away in 2009 at the age of 50, has long been celebrated as an unparalleled force in the music industry.
During his illustrious career, Jackson amassed 13 Grammy Awards, six Brit Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, and 24 American Music Awards. He also holds 20 Guinness World Records.
Meanwhile, Harry Styles, who first gained fame on ‘The X Factor’ with One Direction, has successfully launched a solo career and released three albums.
Despite Styles’ massive following and his three Grammy wins, the declaration of him as the ‘new King of Pop’ has sparked controversy.
The debate ignited after Rolling Stone ran a headline saying, “Harry Styles: How the new King of Pop set the music world aflame.”
While some younger fans might see Styles as deserving of the title, others, including Jackson’s family, are speaking out against it.
On X (formerly Twitter), Jackson’s nephew Taj voiced his objections, tweeting: “There is no new King of Pop. You don’t own the title @RollingStone, and you didn’t earn it, my uncle did. Decades of dedication and sacrifice. The title has been retired. No disrespect to @Harry_Styles, he’s mega talented.”
Taj went on to suggest that Styles should be given a “unique title” rather than adopting his uncle’s.
His tweet has since been retweeted over 11,600 times, with many users echoing his sentiment.
A fan commented, “I’m a huge Harry Styles fan but no. He is not the new King of Pop. There is no new King of Pop.”
Another user added, “When Michael Jackson departed this world, the title of King of Pop left with him. It’s an insult to give that label to anyone else.”
“Well said Taj!! The King of Pop title is owned by your uncle and him only,” a third remarked.
However, not all feedback was critical. Some defended the new title for Styles, pointing out, “Let’s use context clues… The NEW King of Pop… which means there was/is a FIRST King of Pop… which is your uncle. Let people also shine.”
Another supporter argued, “He is the new King of Pop, deal with it.”