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Ed Sheeran's and Beyoncé's concert outfits spark gender debate

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On Sunday Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé performed a duet at the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 in Johannesburg. The performance went well, but the internet was soon in an uproar about the artists’ very different outfits, igniting a gender debate.

Ed Sheeran’s and Beyoncé’s performance looks couldn’t have been more different. (Photo: Getty Images)
Ed Sheeran’s and Beyoncé’s performance looks couldn’t have been more different. (Photo: Getty Images)

While Beyoncé wore a bright pink ruffle dress by Ashi Studio, Sheeran performed in his signature casual look: jeans, sneakers and two layered crewneck shirts. Twitter users claimed the contrast showed a gender-based double standard in the music industry.

Others argued that the outfits were simply representative of the stars’ different celebrity images — and had nothing to do with gender.

Others criticized complaints aimed at Sheeran for what he wore.

As for Beyoncé, she didn’t look bothered at all by the dramatic difference between their outfits and seemed much more concerned with Sheeran hitting the right notes during the performance.

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