Still causing all the talk. The controversial lyrics beyonceseventh studio album, RenaissanceThey’re far from the first scandal she’s faced.
“Thanks, Beyoncé, but if we’re verbal, I think you meant ‘bill clinton-ed everything on my dress,'” Monika Lewinsky wrote in a May 2014 essay for vanity fair, which references an NSFW line in the pop star’s 2013 song “Partition.” In the song, which describes a steamy tryst that takes place in the backseat of a limousine, the Grammy winner sings, “He popped all my buttons, and he ripped mybluse / He Monica Lewinsky-ed all on my gown.”
The line referred to former President Clinton’s 1998 affair with the London School of Economics and Political Science graduate, who was then a White House intern. Clinton was impeached as a result of the scandal, while Lewinsky became the punch line for decades.
The activist brought the track to the attention of fans again in August 2022 after Beyoncé changed the lyrics in her song “Heated” to remove an ableistic slur. “Um, while we’re at it… #Partition,” Lewinsky wrote via Twitter at the time.
RenaissanceBeyoncé’s first solo album since 2016 lemonade, was widely criticized after its release in July 2022. Just a day before the album was released, Kelis slammed the “Crazy In Love” singer for using a sample of her 2003 hit “Milkshake” without permission. “I’m also overwhelmed because the level of disrespect and complete ignorance from all three involved is amazing,” the cookbook author explained via Instagram at the time. “I heard about it like everyone else. Nothing is ever what it seems, some of the people in this business have no soul or integrity and they have fooled everyone.”
Explaining that she found the move “insulting,” Kelis continued, “It’s not that I’m jealous. It has to do with having the decency, common sense and courtesy to call from one artist to another. … There is [bullies] and secrets and thugs in this industry smiling and getting away with it until someone says enough is enough.”
It’s not just Beyoncé’s albums that are causing a stir. In 2016, those with conservative political views claimed that the “Halo” singer’s performance of “Formation” at the Super Bowl — which featured Beyoncé and her backup dancers in Black Panther-inspired ensembles — fueled anti-police sentiment. “I mean, I’m an artist and I think the most powerful art is usually misunderstood,” she said ell in April 2016 about the reactions to her music. “But anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for the officers and the officers’ families who sacrifice themselves to protect us.
The Texas native continued, “I hope I can create art that will help people heal. Art that makes people proud of their struggle. … Everyone experiences pain, but sometimes you have to be uncomfortable in order to transform.”
Keep scrolling to relive more of Queen Bey’s most controversial career moments: