Though Beyoncé’s new Renaissance album was only released last week, it has drummed up a lot of different controversies, the latest involving former White House intern Monica Lewinksy.
Sharing a tweet related to the entertainer removing “spazz” from her new song Heated, Lewinksy wrote on the platform, “uhmm, while we’re at it… #Partition.”
In the 2013 hit song Partition, Beyoncé referred to Lewinsky’s infamous affair with former President Bill Clinton.
The track’s lyrics are sung, “He popped all my buttons and he ripped my blouse. He Monice Lewsinky’d all on my gown.”
Responding to a user who asked if Lewinsky reached out to her before all of the “heat” surrounding her new album, the 49-year-old tweeted back, “No, I haven’t. I did mention it in the first Vanity Fair article I wrote in 2014… which was the first public thing I’d done in 10 years. But you make an interesting/fair point…”
In the article she referenced, Lewinsky offered the Houston-born singer a slight correction on the song lyric, saying “Thanks, Beyoncé, but if we’re verbing, I think you meant ‘Bill Clinton’d all on my gown,’ not ‘Monica Lewinsky’d.’”
Monica Lewinksy-Bill Clinton scandal
As many can recall, the news of an affair between Lewinsky and Clinton in the mid to late ‘90s dominated the news cycle as the country learned more about their relationship.
Clinton famously stated under oath that he didn’t have “sexual relations” with Lewinsky, as Monsters and Critics previously reported, later clarifying that oral sex didn’t really count when it comes to the technical definition of sex.
Lewinsky went on to admit to having nine separate sexual encounters with Clinton in the Oval Office while also denying that the two ever had sexual intercourse.
Post-Renaissance album backlash
This marks the latest public criticism of Beyoncé, who’s recently been called out by Kelis for the interpolation of her 2003 hit Milkshake for a song on the Renaissance album.
As Monsters and Critics previously reported, Kelis expressed her frustration towards not only Beyoncé but also Chad Hugo and Pharrell, the music-producing duo known famously as the Neptunes and for creating the famous beat behind Milkshake.
Speaking out on Instagram, the curly-haired singer-rapper reportedly called it “theft,” stating, “My mind is blown too, because the level of disrespect and utter ignorance of all 3 parties involved is astounding. Nothing is ever as it seems, some of the people in this business have no soul or integrity, and they have everyone fooled.”
Beyoncé quietly responded to the backlash by removing the interpolation from her new song Energy on multiple streaming platforms.
The global superstar was also taken to task for her use of “spazz” on her song Heated, also featured on the new Renaissance album. After hearing the concern and frustration from fans, the 40-year-old announced via her team that she would be removing the offensive lyric from the track.