Our words are powerful. Black women and women, in general, don’t fall into the trap of genius. Don’t fight with each other lift each other up. We have all been hurt in past don’t take it out on each other. To few of us succeed and women at any level.
Social Media users dragged Grammy-winning Diane Warren on social media after the legend raised a question about the number of writers credited in crafting just one song – a song that the ensuing conversation revealed was about a track on Beyoncé’s new album, “Renaissance.”
On her Twitter page, Warren on Monday asked, “How can there be 24 writers on a song?” Although she did not specifically mention Beyoncé or her album, “Renaissance” includes the song “Alien Superstar,” which has more than 20 co-writers listed. She added, “This isn’t meant as shade, I’m just curious.”
After Warren’s post, a flood of backlash followed. One source came from five-time Grammy Award winner The-Dream, a co-producer on “Alien Superstar,” and a co-writer on several songs on “Renaissance,” including the lead single, “Break My Soul.”
The-Dream replied, “You mean how’s does our (Black) culture have so many writers, well it started because we couldn’t afford certain things starting out, so we started sampling and it became an Artform, a major part of the Black Culture (hip hop) in America. Had that era not happened who knows? U good?”
Warren directly responded to The-Dream, writing, “I didn’t mean that as an attack or as disrespect. I didn’t know this, thank U for making me aware of it. No need to be mean about it.”
Some fans threw jabs at Warren and her question about 24 writers. One user, @TaylorBold, replied, “Same way you have 13 nominations and no wins,” after mentioning all 13 compositions for which Warren received best original song Academy Award nominations in her career. Warren clapped back with, “But I have 13 more nominations than U.”
Warren eventually tweeted an apology, mentioning Beyoncé in her statement. “Ok, I meant no disrespect to @Beyonce, who I’ve worked with and admire,” Warren posted. “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding.” Warren wrote “I Was Here” for Beyoncé’s 2011 album, “4.”
In addition to Warren’s Oscar nominations, she wrote several hit songs during the course of four decades, mostly writing alone. This includes Debarge’s “Rhythm of the Night,” Patti Labelle’s “If You Asked Me To,” Xscape’s “The Arms of the One Who Loves You,” Monica’s “For You I Will,” and Toni Braxton’s “Un-Break My Heart,” to name a few.
Beyoncé has removed the usage of “Milkshake” from her new song “Energy” after Kelis tore into the singer for featuring the hit 2003 song, proclaiming it an act of “thievery.”
It’s been an unexpectedly rocky release week for Beyoncé, who despite receiving rave reviews for her disco-dance album Renaissance, has had a series of blips and post-release modifications to songs.
Days before its drop last Friday, the album leaked online — a rare hiccup for the famously buttoned-up artist. Then on Monday, Beyoncé announced she would be removing the word “spaz” from her song “Heated” following backlash from critics who said the word is an ableist slur. (Lizzo similarly removed the word from her song “Grrrls” earlier this summer.)
Now, Tidal and Apple have appeared to have removed an interpolation of Kelis’ song “Milkshake” that appears at the tail end of “Energy.” In a brief glitch, Tidal was only playing the isolated vocals of the interpolation, while the rest of the nearly two minute track was silent. It’s unclear when other streaming services will update the track on their platforms. Reps for Beyoncé, Kelis, and Tidal have not immediately responded to Rolling Stone‘s requests for comment.
The controversy between the two artists kicked off hours before the album’s official drop when Kelis used her chef’s Instagram account to voice her frustration that her song was being used and she wasn’t given the courtesy of a heads-up, much less asked for her blessing. “It’s not a collab, it’s theft,” she wrote.
“My mind is blown too because the level of disrespect and utter ignorance of all 3 parties involved is astounding,” she added. “Nothing is ever as it seems, some of the people in this business have no soul or integrity, and they have everyone fooled.”
Full credits later revealed the song in question was “Milkshake,” with Kelis’ former producers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo credited on the track. Beyoncé’s website also noted the song was interpolated, which takes an existing sound and alters it, whereas sampling takes directly from a song with no changes.
Regardless that the song was used in a minor way or tweaked to fit Beyoncé’s dance track, Kelis wasn’t pleased, saying the entire situation was a “trigger” point for her. “It’s beyond this song at this point,” she wrote in an Instagram caption. “There are bullies and secrets and gangsters in this industry that smile and get away with it until someone says enough is enough. So, I’m saying it today. I’m coming for what’s mine and I want reparations.”
Kelis also called out Williams, a former close friend who worked with her exclusively alongside Chad Hugo on her first two albums. Their relationship went bust after Kelis claimed that Williams and Hugo had “lied and tricked” her into a raw deal. Instead of splitting things “33/33/33,” Kelis told The Guardian in 2020, she was left with no rights to her early music, and ended up only making money from her first albums from touring.
She referred to the contentious relationship in her Instagram video, saying, “Publishing was stolen, people were swindled out of rights. It happens all the time, especially back then. So it’s not about me being mad about Beyoncé.”
“Pharrell knows better,” she added. “This is a direct hit at me [and] he does this stuff all the time. The reason I’m annoyed is because I know it was on purpose.”
Kelis is not shedding any tears after Beyoncé pulled her sample from Renaissance.
The “Milkshake” singer responded to a series of comments left by the BeyHive on her Instagram page in which she expressed her happiness over the removal of her 2003 hit, which was featured on “Energy.”
“You happy Beyoncé took that sample off?? Cry baby,” asked one fan to which Kelis responded, “Yes I am actually. lol nobody cried.”
Another fan wrote, “Tbh I would have just been happy to be on the album.” Kelis clapped back, “And that’s why you are you, and Thank God I am me lol.”
When someone told the professional chef that she can “go back to BBQ sauce,” she laughed, “Oh absolutely lol #winning.
A new version of “Energy” without the “Milkshake” interpolation was uploaded to Spotify and TIDAL just days after Kelis slammed Beyoncé for not informing her of the sample.
“My mind is blown too because the level of disrespect and utter ignorance of all 3 parties involved is astounding,” Kelis wrote while calling it an act of “theft.”
Bey’s “Energy” sample was credited to “Milkshake’s” producers, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are no longer credited. A fan pointed out that Kelis’ goal may have been accomplished by having Pharrell and Chad removed, meaning no one will get paid off the sample.
“Well, it did make a difference. Pharrell’s credit is gone = no more coins from that song,” wrote one person, prompting Kelis to respond, “Perfect.”
Kelis has had a tumultuous relationship with The Neptunes. She previously accused Pharrell and Chad of stealing the profits and publishing from her first two albums, Kaleidoscope and Wanderland.