THE internet is divided after TikTok user @vadellor posted a storytime video recounting an experience wherein she got into an argument with singer SZA back when the former attended the S.O.S. tour. 

The fan, Mya, shares that this happened after she posted a photo on her story calling SZA wack, explaining that it was merely her recreating a meme that went viral a few years back. She proceeded to post the photo to her Instagram feed as well; at the time, she stated that she had around 250 followers.

What Mya didn’t expect was that SZA would comment on her post, saying: “I don’t think you realize how f*cked up that actually is and how hurtful it was back then and how it RUINED my confidence and desire to perform live. Y’all not humans and it’s sad… really wish you the best.”

Following this, the artist also messaged her privately, telling her that her post was not okay. Mya then apologized, stating it was just a joke, but SZA replied by questioning her as to why she kept it up even after the fan knew how it made her feel, even deleting the artist’s comment shortly after it was posted.

“I have feelings and a life and anxiety like anyone else,” SZA continued to write to the fan.

“It’s really hard to have courage to get up on stage and even wanna do my job. My feelings matter.” 

Mya continued to defend herself, asking why the artist was coming after her even when she was fifteen years older than her and when it was obvious that she didn’t mean what she was saying in the post.

“Why are you coming after me – a genuine fan – instead of your real haters?” She asked the artist.

The back and forth continued, and it ended with Mya deleting the post. 

Later on in the TikTok, Mya explains that as a famous person with a wide audience, things like this were bound to happen, telling SZA that she cannot control all the negative things a person says about her, then reiterating that she didn’t say anything negative. She was just recreating a meme.

The Instagram account of Mya, displayed in the TikTok, is no longer available on the site. She’s also privated her TikTok account since her video blew up.

Both fans and non-fans of the artist have since been arguing as to whether or not SZA’s reaction was justified. 

Some are saying that she shouldn’t have taken it so seriously, and others feel that it was wrong of Mya to share their private conversation in the first place.

For 22-year-old fan Hannah Mancenon, SZA was merely establishing a boundary with her fan.

“The public could recognize that,” she said.

“It’s nice; people respecting it means that celebrities like SZA are being treated like humans. It’s not completely there, but we are getting there.” 

The Doja Cat controversy

SZA isn’t the only one that’s been under fire recently with fans. Doja Cat also made headlines after a Twitter dispute wherein a fan asked her to say that she loved her fans, only for the artist to say: “I don’t though cuz I don’t even know y’all.”

Another fan replied to this conversation by reminding Doja that she’d be nothing without her fans, harshly saying she’d be working at a grocery and making songs on Garage Band if they didn’t make her famous, even bringing up the fact that she’s a high school dropout. 

Doja Cat replied: “Nobody forced you idk why you’re talking to me like you’re my mother b*tch you sound like a crazy person.”

This quickly outraged several people, with some calling her a liar on one of her tweets a few days prior, wherein she’d told her fans she loved them. There are also those defending her, explaining that you can be grateful for your fans without having to tell them you love them.

Only adding fuel to the fire was her lashing out at her fans for calling themselves Kittenz, even though she’d been the one to give this name to them a few years prior. 

Most of her tweets have since been deleted, and only a handful are still up on her account. 

This has since sparked a debate amongst many: the question of whether or not artists should feel obligated to be nice to their fans just because they support them. 

21-year-old Katrina Villanueva, who’s been an avid fan of Doje ever since she got popular during the pandemic, feels that the fan was right in this case. 

“Her insulting words to us fans have made me question my interest in her as an artist and her music,” she said.

“Doja Cat, as a celebrity, should appreciate her fans, as they gave her a platform to have her work appreciated. Regardless of whether she was a celebrity or not, her actions should be taken with accountability.”

Meanwhile, 22-year-old Sofia Alexie finds herself siding with Doja because she feels that celebrities are highly regarded nowadays, so much so that people might have forgotten that they’re human, too. 

She stated: “Feel ko na-put on the spot si Doja, or fans feel so entitled to the attention of their idols that we forget na they’re still people behind the person we’re following. I wouldn’t want a rando telling me they love me just because they’ve seen my work, and it’s quite uncomfy, especially as a woman, regardless of her being a celebrity or not.”

Setting boundaries

In today’s day and age, more and more celebrities are done with playing the nice guy; many have started to gain the courage to tell fans whatever they think, no holds barred.

Fan reactions often vary on a case-to-case basis, but the growing trend of celebrities speaking their mind – no matter who it may hurt at times – probably won’t be going away any time soon.

Sharing her thoughts on the matter, Mancenon says: “I feel like celebrities are treated more human nowadays because they can establish boundaries more than celebrities in the past.” 

Mancenon recounts that in the past, it seemed as if celebrities had no privacy, always being followed and asked intrusive questions about things the public had no business knowing. 

Situations like that of SZA’s, in her eyes, help artists become more open with their feelings toward fans, as society slowly starts to realize that many of them just want to be treated like the rest of the world. 

It should be noted, though, that this newfound freedom of expression shouldn’t be used as a free pass to be rude to people whenever you want without expecting any repercussions for your words. 

“Some celebrities have a habit of taking a certain movement or community of support as a shield to avoid any criticism,” she said. 

“Celebrities are human just like us, [but] the problem with chronically online fans is they will fight by these celebrities’ side just to garner validation from [them.]”

In the future, Villanueva only hopes that both celebrities and fans alike will be able to garner within themselves a sense of accountability when needed, as well as an appreciation for what the latter has helped the former to achieve in their lifetime.