Harry Styles took over the world by storm when he became a part of One Direction more than a decade ago and his popularity skyrocketed, even more, when he ventured out into a solo career. Recently, the singer was labeled the "new King of Pop" and not all fans agree with the title.
The title "King of Pop" originally and still (for some) belongs to the late Michael Jackson, but Rolling Stone UK used the big honor to name Styles as this generation's biggest pop star.
Taking to Twitter, many users believe that the singer heavily impacted the music industry because of his stardom, but it wasn't enough for him to be called a "King of Pop."
"Rolling stone (uk) calling harry styles the king of pop is a very bold move considering the most notable person to hold the king of pop title is michael jackson. how do you put michael jackson and harry styles on the same level with a straight face," one wrote.
The public noted that the 28-year-old singer's career doesn't have the same caliber and impact compared to the late musician.
"Michael Jackson didn't break records, racial barriers, set the blueprint and standards for a lot of modern music and miss out on his entire childhood for y'all to sit here and call Harry Styles 'the new king of pop'" another one wrote.
People also noted that the magazine has used the title on other artists like Justin Timberlake before, but they failed to make it a thing.
As of this writing, Harry Styles has yet to address the controversy.
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Did Rolling Stone UK Break Any Law By Using the Title 'King of Pop' on Harry Styles?
Among the tweets that went viral regarding the social media uproar against Rolling Stone UK was a fan's post, claiming that the title "King of Pop" is trademarked and owned by Jackson's estate.
The user noted that they should've asked permission first before using the title.
The Jackson estate has not publicly commented on the matter but one family member spoke out about the controversy.
"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," Taj Jackson wrote.
Taj clarified that he didn't mean any disrespect to the singer because he's "mega talented," but the outlet could've given him his "own unique title."
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