TikTok viral conspiracy explores why Adele, Lizzo, Jay-Z thanked Beyoncé in their Grammy speeches

TikTok users are engaging with a humorous meme that involves thanking Beyoncé in a satirical manner, suggesting she possesses immense, almost divine power.

What is the 'Thank You, Beyoncé' meme?

Beyoncé is widely revered in the music world and frequently mentioned in award speeches.

TikTok users observed a trend where artists often thank Beyoncé in their acceptance speeches, even for work unrelated to her.

As a result, TikTokers began creating comedic skits where they “thank Beyoncé” for various unrelated actions, such as sneezing or submitting an assignment, to avoid misfortune.

Some also made jokes about the consequences of skipping a Beyoncé song on Spotify.

In 2017, when Adele won Album of the Year at the Grammys, she emotionally credited Beyoncé as a huge influence, calling her the "artist of my life."

Later, Adele accidentally broke her Grammy, leading to rumors that she intentionally split it to share with Beyoncé, though this was later debunked. The tale has resurfaced on TikTok, likely inspired by a scene from Mean Girls.

Both Lizzo in 2023 and Jay-Z in 2024 thanked Beyoncé during their Grammy speeches (though Jay-Z's mention was expected since he is married to her).

Even Kanye West's infamous interruption of Taylor Swift's 2009 VMA speech is cited, as he said, “I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!”

While it's common for artists to praise a colleague they admire, compilations of these speeches have sparked jokes about artists "fearing" Beyoncé, evolving into the “Thank You, Beyoncé” meme.

The meme likely draws from older conspiracy theories surrounding Beyoncé and Jay-Z, revived by recent accusations against Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Like Madonna, Beyoncé has used religious and historical imagery in her music videos, fueling bizarre theories, including that she is secretly Italian and communicates through symbols, similar to themes from The Da Vinci Code (according to conspiracy theorists, powerful people use set design as a communication tool).