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It may be Women’s History Month but where Beyoncé is concerned, people are easily triggered by whatever she does. Even other female artists. As we’re sure you know by now, Beyoncé has an album called Country Carter coming out on March 29.
Though the Houston-born superstar clarified on her Instagram post that it’s “not a country album it’s a ‘Beyonce’ album,” she became the first-ever Black woman to top the country charts with its first single “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
But her fellow Texan, Erykah Badu thinks that Beyoncè infringes on some of her classic looks. In new images from the album release, Beyonce poses nude with a sash artfully covering her lady parts and with her hair braided with beaded bangs.
“Hmmm,” Badu posted on an Instagram Story after Beyoncè first posted the cover. Then, when the next images were made public, Badu tweeted or X’ed:
“To Jay Z . Say somethin Jay . You gone let this woman and these bees do this to me ?? 😆
Badu appears to have been upset by Beyoncè’s imaging, including the braids and hats that Badu has often been seen wearing.
If musicians rocking beaded braids are the issue, then the spirit of Rick James would like a word. Still, we must also give all respect due to Linda “Peaches” Tavani of Peaches & Herb, the third of seven different women who performed, recorded and toured with the duo’s creator, Herb Fame.
Tavani wore beaded braids in the 70s and is the Peaches who recorded their biggest hits “Shake Your Groove Thing,” and “Reunited” in 1978 and 1979 respectively.
Last July, Badu hopped into Beyoncé’s comment section after she posted a pic from the Renaissance tour in a large, wide-brimmed hat.
“I’m flattered,” she said.
Yes, Badu is known for her outrageously large wide-brimmed hats and she’s worn braids with beaded bangs. But it is not as though she and Beyoncé are in the same musical universes or that either of them has exclusive rights to a certain hat or braided style.
B’s forever publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, entered the chat with her own pointed take on the situation with a video mix of Beyonce wearing braids throughout her career.
“She slays. She slays. Now. Then. Always,” she said in what sounded like rebuke, adding the hashtag, #criticswithoutcredentials.
Social media couldn’t understand why Badu seems to have it in for Beyoncé. It’s not like Badu doesn’t have her own rabid fanbase and musical accomplishments. Twitter/X has a theory, though.
And they also have a solution:
As someone who had her own run-in with Badu back in they day, I wonder. However, after seeing her last tour, where she literally changed the atmosphere and uplifted the vibration of the most age, race, and sexual preference diverse audience I’ve seen since Prince, I have nothing bad to say about the woman.
But maybe, just keep Beyonce’s name out yo mouth, before her hitta Solange catches up to you.
