"Built a whole empire on pure chaos" - Fans react as IShowSpeed surpasses Taylor Swift's followers and likes on TikTok

YouTube streamer Darren "IShowSpeed" (or simply "Speed") is easily among the most notable personalities within the online industry. The creator has millions of fans worldwide and is hosting his first-ever Southeast Asian tour at the time of writing. The 19-year-old also managed to add a new feather to his already illustrious cap recently, by amassing over 33 million followers on his TikTok account (@ishowspeed).

This is particularly impressive given that he is now ahead of Taylor Swift's official TikTok account (@taylorswift), which currently has 32.8 million followers. Swift is considered one of the biggest American celebrities - so for a YouTuber to surpass her on a social media platform is a noteworthy achievement.

Speed has over 200K more followers than Taylor Swift (Image via TikTok)

Reacting to this incredible feat, one X user expressed his appreciation for Speed, saying:

"That’s wild. From gaming streams to bungee jumps, man’s built a whole empire on pure chaos. Congrats Speed!," said @DigiDominionDev

Meanwhile, some ridiculed 'Swifties' over her comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo (the footballer recently created a YouTube channel). They wrote:

"Taylor Swift fans were comparing her to Cristiano, she ain't even bigger than Speed," said @MPCI13

Fans also praised Speed for achieving an incredible milestone at such a young age:

"Don’t forget, he’s 19 years old lmao, he has finished the game," said @AliDLux1

Another claimed that the teenager was an international star, saying:

"Global star Speed. Many more to come," said @Priyanka_VK18

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How do IShowSpeed's other social media platforms compare to Taylor Swift's?

Both IShowSpeed and Taylor Swift are some of the biggest stars in their respective fields. Speed has broken numerous records in the content creation scene, while Swift has won various music awards, including 14 Grammys.

While there cannot be a direct comparison, Speed's main platform, YouTube, boasts over 32 million subscribers, making him one of the most subscribed livestreamers. Taylor Swift, on the other hand, has 60 million subscribers, though she has been around for a longer time:

Speed has 32 million subs on YouTube, compared to Swift's 60 million (Image via YouTube)

On Instagram, the gap is even more pronounced. Taylor Swift ranks as the 14th most followed user with 284 million followers, while IShowSpeed has 25.2 million followers:

Taylor Swift is the fourth most followed musician on Instagram (Image via Instagram)

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As mentioned earlier, comparing a YouTuber with a musician might not be the most straightforward comparison to make. Nonetheless, IShowSpeed's rise to fame has been quite incredible and is worth studying.