BeyHive Defends Beyoncé After She Removes Kelis Sample

There’s been no shortage of backlash following the release of Beyoncé’s Renaissance. Whether it’s the right-wing pundits who’ve found Beyoncé’s music to be “vile” or the controversy surrounding the long list of songwriters and samples across the project, it seems like there are plenty of people coming for Bey’s neck right now. However, no one has been louder than Kelis. Before the album dropped, Kelis expressed her disappointment that Beyoncé used a sample of her song without permission.


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Yesterday, it was reported that Beyoncé quietly resolved the issue following Kelis’ complaint. Fans reported that the sample of Kelis’ single “Milkshake” was removed from Beyoncé’s “Energy,” as well as the songwriting credit belonging to Kelis.

The issue is deeper than just Beyoncé, though, since there’s been friction between Pharrell and Kelis over royalties in the past. Bey technically didn’t need Kelis’s approval to use the song since she didn’t own the copyright, which is a larger discussion that doesn’t involve the “Alien Superstar” singer. 

As expected, the Bey Hive had plenty to say about it. Many applauded how Beyoncé addressed the situation without causing a commotion while others felt it was unnecessary for Kelis to lash out against the Houston singer over the sample.

Check out a few of the best reactions below and let us know your thoughts in the comment section.