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'Just no': Michael Jackson's fans enraged after Forbes cover calls Bad Bunny the 'king of pop'

'Michael Jackson sold out his concerts in Brazil, South Africa and Japan. Bad Bunny is not even known in these countries,' a fan claimed

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A leading magazine has termed the Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny the new ‘King of Pop’ and the Internet is not happy.

In a recent profile by Forbes Magazine, the 29-year-old singer has been termed as "El Rey Del Pop” on their magazine cover.

With billions of streaming minutes by his name, Bad Bunny - whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio - is often called the ‘king of streaming', the 'king of reggaeton', and the 'king of Latin music'.

The outlet raved about the singer who found himself well-placed on Forbes’ list of the most successful singers under the age of 30, per Marca.

However, the new moniker left the fans of the original 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson fuming as they felt it was a slight to the superstar.

'There will never be another Michael Jackson'

Fans slammed the publication and Bad Bunny over the controversial claim.

One of them said, "King of Pop with what talent, impact, and global reach? He’s not even a Pop artist…."

"Just no. There was only one King of Pop and he doesn’t even compare to him," said someone else.

"The king of pop title is not a inherited title to he thrown around, it belongs to Michael Jackson! There is no new king of pop. This title is copyrighted, Michael Jackson didn't do decades of dedication and sacrifice for magazine covers who don't own the title to gain attention by saying it. Michael Jackson revolutionized the industry. He is the industry! There will never be another Michael Jackson," another hardcore fan wrote.

"Michael Jackson sold out his concerts in Brazil, South Africa and Japan. Bad Bunny is not even known in these countries...," a user noted.

"I wish people would stop comparing artists, there will never be another Michael Jackson..," said someone else.

Someone else declared, "Fraudulent. Hes literally not even in the pop genre."

Forbes on Bad Bunny

The outlet gushed about the singer and said, "If there is a constant in Bad Bunny, who is 29 years old, it is that everything he creates becomes a worldwide hit.”

Forbes also highlighted on their Instagram account, “In April, Bad Bunny made history as the first Latin artist to headline the Coachella music festival. And he's done it all while singing solely in Spanish."

The magazine continued to praise him by raving about the numbers, adding, "His YouTube channel has attracted over 32 billion views, more than Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, and, yes, Taylor Swift. He has won three Grammy Awards and 11 Latin Grammys."

Earning around $88 million (excluding taxes) in the last fiscal year, Bad Bunny was also one of the highest-paid artists of 2022, per the magazine.