Did Beyoncé Shade ‘Swarm’ During The ‘Renaissance Tour?’

The Donald Glover-produced Amazon show Swarm was one of the most talked-about television/streaming events of the year so far. Fans were blown away by the Black woman anti-hero tale, from its controversial opening sex scene with Chloe Bailey to its guest starring turns from Billie Eilish and Paris Jackson to its mind-bending ending. But because it was so closely associated with Beyoncé, even the show’s creators were worried about its reception from the real-life Swarm analog, Beyoncé’s infamous fanbase, the Beyhive.

Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour just had its first show, and fans can’t help but wonder whether the queen herself responded to Swarm during the concert. Dressed as a bee and posted up next to one of those “on air” signs you see at movie studios and radio stations, Beyoncé seemingly shouts into the mic, “Swarm on these hands, n****!” — which is one of the top ten funniest things anyone has ever said. What does that even mean!?

Fans can’t help but wonder the same thing. The short, elusive clip above doesn’t really offer much context for the statement, and there appears to be some disagreement on just what Beyoncé is actually saying in it. For instance, she could be saying “Swarm on these Ms,” as in, millions, which would probably make more sense. But the Hive is feisty and loves a good internet fight, even if they have to reach and contort reality to get it — I mean, that’s what the show was about in the first place!

So, no, Beyoncé probably wasn’t shading Swarm or its creators, Donald Glover and Janine Nabers, but hey, if they need inspiration for season two, I’m sure they can wrangle something out of this. Now, that’s entertainment.

You can check out more about the Renaissance World Tour opener here, from the custom wardrobe to the setlist to the merch.