Billboard meant to honor Taylor Swift as the second greatest pop star of the century. That alone—ranking her merely second best—may have already constituted blasphemy for some of Swift’s fans. But in a since-edited video about the recognition, the music publication used a clip that prompted even greater backlash and an eventual apology to the artist herself. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] As part of Billboard’s countdown of the 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st century, it published on Tuesday its No.