🌟 The Headlines: What’s Happening?
On December 25, 2025, country music star Lainey Wilson, 33, appeared on a Netflix-streamed NFL Christmas Day halftime show during the Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings game. She performed alongside Snoop Dogg, K-pop group HUNTR/X, and opera vocalists Andrea and Matteo Bocelli in a high-budget festive set that blended holiday spirit with star power. New York Post+1
Shortly after clips and images of the performance were shared online, fans and social media users began accusing Wilson of “copying” Beyoncé’s 2024 NFL Christmas halftime show concept, pointing specifically to visual parallels like all-white costuming and a dramatic holiday entrance. AOL
Critics — especially fans of Beyoncé (often called the Beyhive) — quickly flooded social media, drawing comparisons and memes that suggested Wilson’s look and staging were too reminiscent of Beyoncé’s performance to be a coincidence. Parade
🎄 Beyoncé’s 2024 Christmas Halftime Show: The Benchmark
To understand the backlash against Wilson, it helps to look back at what sparked the original comparisons:
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In December 2024, Beyoncé headlined an NFL Christmas Day halftime show during the Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans game.
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She performed in an all-white outfit with Western/cowboy influences during her Cowboy Carter era, complete with a memorable entrance and dramatic visuals that quickly made the show viral — so much so that fans dubbed it the “Beyoncé Bowl.”
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The performance was celebrated not just for music but for imagery, staging, and how it bridged pop spectacle with Western aesthetics tied to Beyoncé’s then-recent country-influenced album. Parade
This set a visual and cultural benchmark in many fan communities — a moment so iconic that comparisons to it quickly go viral whenever something similar appears on screen.
📸 What Happened in 2025
Fast forward a year. At the 2025 halftime show:
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Lainey Wilson wore an all-white, cowboy-inspired outfit and entered with dramatic flair. Her performance of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” also leaned into classic holiday style.
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Fans on Instagram, X (Twitter), and other platforms immediately noted the similarities between Wilson’s visuals and Beyoncé’s 2024 halftime show look. AOL
In the comments on the official Netflix halftime show post, users posted GIFs, memes, and direct comparisons — some playful, others sharp — drawing parallels between the two performances. Fans used phrases like “copy & pasted Beyoncé,” “stole Beyoncé’s look,” and even music lyrics (“Baby, I swear it’s deja vu”) to underscore how familiar the visuals seemed. Parade
🗣️ Fan Reactions: Praise, Backlash, and Internet Culture
🔥 Beyoncé Fans (“Beyhive”) Backlash
The most vocal critics were Beyoncé’s fans, who:
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Accused Wilson of essentially replicating Beyoncé’s performance aesthetic rather than creating something distinct.
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Used memes, throwbacks, and direct comparisons to highlight parallels.
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Declared that Beyoncé “did it better” and that Wilson’s show lacked originality. Parade
This type of response is typical of intense fan communities protecting an artist’s legacy, especially when a performance has become culturally iconic.
🎤 Broader Public Reaction
Not all reactions were negative or accusatory:
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Some viewers pushed back against the “copying” narrative and suggested that holiday halftime shows naturally share festive visuals like white costumes and dramatic entrances — especially around Christmas. Parade
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Others pointed out that every performance is collaborative and built by creative teams, making direct copying claims speculative without inside info. Parade
This divergence in viewer responses highlights how social media can amplify certain narratives — especially in entertainment — even when the facts about intent aren’t clear.
🤝 Lainey Wilson’s Relationship With Beyoncé
Interestingly, this controversy isn’t occurring in a vacuum. Wilson has previously spoken positively about Beyoncé, particularly regarding Beyoncé’s crossover into country music with Cowboy Carter. In past interviews, Wilson has:
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Expressed admiration for how Beyoncé introduced new audiences to country music.
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Told reporters she appreciated storytelling in music and welcomed Beyoncé’s involvement in the genre. AOL
This context matters because it suggests Wilson was not antagonistic toward Beyoncé or dismissive of her influence — which undercuts the idea that she was intentionally trying to imitate or overshadow Beyoncé’s style.
🧠 What Critics Are Really Arguing
Much of the debate isn’t just about a costume or performance choice — it’s part of broader discussions around artistic influence, genre boundaries, and cultural borrowing:
🎵 Influence vs. Imitation
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In music and entertainment, artists often draw on shared visual and cultural tropes.
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Holiday performances, in particular, may recycle themes like snowy visuals, white outfits, and celebratory spectacle.
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The key question becomes: When does influence cross into imitation?
For some fans, any perceived similarity to Beyoncé — an artist with an unusually devoted fanbase — is enough to spark backlash. For others, it’s simply part of how entertainment evolves and references past moments.
🎤 Genre and Cultural Tensions
The conversation also highlights ongoing cultural dialogues:
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Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter era and country aesthetic drew significant discussion about genre boundaries, authenticity, and the history of country music itself — which has deep roots in Black cultural traditions.
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The fact that comparisons are surfacing around a country artist’s halftime show adds another layer: country music fans and Beyoncé’s fans have clashed before, sometimes over perceived “ownership” of musical styles.
These broader cultural questions make what might seem like a simple internet spat into something more layered and emotionally charged.
🧾 Official Responses and Next Steps
As of now:
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Lainey Wilson has not publicly commented on the accusations.
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Beyoncé has also not made any statement about the comparisons or backlash. New York Post
Without comments from the artists themselves or the show’s creative teams, it’s impossible to definitively say whether there was intentional borrowing, coincidental overlap, or simply shared holiday performance tropes.
What we can say is that the situation shows how quickly pop culture moments can be reframed — especially by passionate fan communities — and how contextual memory (like Beyoncé’s 2024 show) shapes reactions to new performances.
🧠 Final Takeaway
The Lainey Wilson controversy isn’t just about one Christmas halftime show. It reflects:
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The power of fan communities to shape narratives online.
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The blurred lines between influence and imitation in pop culture.
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How iconic performances live on in collective memory and inform reactions to future ones.
Whether Wilson’s performance was directly inspired by Beyoncé or simply shared festive aesthetics, this moment underscores how entertainment — especially high-profile televised events — lives at the intersection of artistry, fandom, and cultural conversation.
