Also, while I'm on controversial topics: I think Beyonce has pretty clearly reached or even arguably exceeded Michael Jackson levels of clout & relevancy. I lived through & worshipped Jackson--had the jacket with the zippers & moonwalked in my bedroom for years. But consider:
Michael's solo peak lasted from around 1979 to maybe mid-92 when "Remember the Time" started to fade. Please don't make a case for his last no 1, "You Are Not Alone." By then, accusations were swirling. So that's 12+ years. Beyonce is at 14+ and only getting stronger.
Meanwhile, and most importantly: both sell stadiums at a whim. Both don't just make/made international headlines with their appearances, but actually cut through global news to own parts of the news cycle beyond music. And both deliver the goods to justify the attention.
Michael's roots give him an edge in the pre-solo department: The Jacksons were bigger, for longer, with more of a chart history and more iconic classics than Destiny's Child.
Just like it's hard to compare sports heroes from different eras, Beyonce's pop era is obviously completely, radically different than the one Michael owned. In both cases, one looks for singularity: what artists/athletes distanced themselves from even their great peers?
Beyonce shines on this front. Outside of the under appreciated era of 4--an album that still hit no 1 in many countries--Beyonce has almost inarguably been one of the top 1-2 pop stars in the world since she went solo. No one else has that extended period of being on top.
And she's not just on top, but also: reinventing how we think about albums & their release; putting on arguably the most critically/commercially acclaimed tours; creating unprecedented brand relationships; & doing it all while leading certain social/racial justice conversations.
I love the folks whose counter argument is "Beyonce works with an army of people to make her music." Like Michael didn't work with the all-time greatest producer Quincy Jones for his best work, or like Rod Temperton didn't write "Thriller" AND "Off the Wall." Come at me, bro.
I also love the folks who say "Beyonce doesn't have a song as iconic as Michael." I'll take fire for this, but most of Thriller has not aged well. Most music heads I know, Off the Wall is what they grab now. Does Bey have Off the Wall-caliber songs? I say yes, definitely.
People are like "Where is Beyonce's 'Beat It'?" But 1. Dont even lie and say that you want to hear that today and 2. Where is Michael's "Run the world" or "Formation" or "Partition"?
Point is, Beyonce can do grown-person sexiness with credibility, which Michael could never do. And Beyonce puts her politics out there in a way that Michael never really did.
