This weekend, Beyoncé fans were gifted with the first new album from the beloved icon and Oscar-nominee (for the work she did on King Richard)Seither 2019 The Lion KingAlbum of -inspired musicWith RENAISSANCE. The 16-track album was quickly hailed. “masterpiece”And broke streaming records. However, there have been controversies since the release of the dance-y, sultry set of songs. We’ll catch you up.
RENAISSANCE is Beyoncé’s seventh studio album following the cultural phenomenon that was 2016’s LemonadeThis was done. Jay-Z’s infidelities in their relationship. Other than the new album, which is hyping up fans through tracks like “ALIEN SUPERSTAR”And “VIRGO’S GROOVE,” here are the controversies the album has already been hit with after Beyoncé bared it all for the new release.
One Song On Renaissance Had A Slur
Track “Heated,”The lyrics were used in the song “spaz”And “spazzin,”this is considered an “ableist slur” for those with cerebral palsy. This condition causes motor impairments in the legs and arms. Disability rights advocates noticed the use of the word in the song and urged Beyoncé to change her lyrics.
The singer’s spokesperson said that word was being changed after the backlash. “not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced,”Per the NY Times. The song was updated to music streaming services using the word “blast”. Lizzo received backlash in June for using the exact same word in her song “Grrrls,”She has since updated them as well.
Beyoncé Sampled ‘Milkshake’Without Permission
However, the lyrics change in “Heated” isn’t the only thing that was updated in RENAISSANCE. Kelis, a singer most well-known for her hit song “Milkshake,” took to social media to share her anger over the 2003 song being a sample in Beyoncé song “Energy”Without giving credit to her, calling it “theft”In InstagramSend a friend a message. Two producers “Milkshake,”Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams were listed as co-writers. “Energy,”But Kelis was not included. This was her blunt reply:
As Kelis shared, she was frustrated that Beyoncé and her co-writers did not have the “common decency”to call her and let her know that your music is part of “Energy.”When the RENAISSANCEUpdate: The Kelis sample was also taken out.
Now Monica Lewinsky Wants Out Of An Older Beyoncé Song
If all that heat wasn’t enough, former White House intern Monica Lewinsky has become part of the RENAISSANCE controversy. In response to seeing the news about Beyoncé removing the slur from her new song, Lewinsky said this on Twitter:
uhmm, while we’re at it… #Partition
“Partition”This is a 2013 track that was released on the singer’s self-titled Album Beyoncé. On the song, Beyoncé sings “He Monica Lewinsky’d all on my gown.” The lyrics is a reference to Lewinsky famously wearing a blue dress that was covered in former President Bill Clinton’s semen during one of their Oval Office assignations and later became a piece of evidence in his impeachment hearings after Their sex scandal. Beyoncé namedrops Lewinsky to imply a mess on a dress, as the song details a sexual situation. It’s clearly a lyric Lewinsky has not been keen on over the years.
It’s both Beyoncé’s week and It is reallyNot her week, as there were many controversies that erupted after the publication of RENAISSANCE. If you happen to be on Queen Bey’s hype train, you can visit her Coachella set or self-directed documentary HomecomingWith a Netflix subscription.