The BeyHive (and much of music Twitter) swarmed songwriter Diane Warren’s account on Monday after she asked, “How can there be 24 writers on one song?” accompanied by eye-rolling emojis. The tweet referred to the credits for Beyoncé’s renaissance landmark film, Alien Superstar, which has the same number of writers.
Aside from some pointed responses about her age and a red carpet moment with Mariah Carey that clearly stung her (no pun intended BeyHive), what stemmed from Warren’s shadow — whether intentional or not — was a public education in black music history , the art of collaboration, and why the concept of artistic brilliance as a strictly solo endeavor is a “white, capitalist, patriarchal idea.”
“I meant no disrespect with my tweet. I love Beyoncé’s new album,” Warren told Rolling Stone. “She is an amazing innovative artist to work with and admire immensely.”
She adds, “Every single contributor who worked on this record should be celebrated.”
Initially, responses to Warren’s original tweet called out the veteran songwriter — who worked on Beyoncé’s “I Was Here” — for not understanding how sampling and credit work. Warren would respond that despite her rolling-eyes emoji, her tweet “wasn’t intended as shade” and that she understands that “probable samples add up” to the number of writers.
But, like the number of songwriters credited to Beyoncé’s song, the responses to her tweet have also started to add up. And hours later, after feuding with Stan’s accounts, Warren tweeted: “I didn’t want to disrespect @Beyonce who I’ve worked with and admire. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding.”
Ok, no disrespect to @Beyonce who I’ve worked with and admire. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding
— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) August 1, 2022
You mean how our (black) culture has so many writers, well it started because we couldn’t afford some things to start, so we started sampling and it became Artform, a major part of black culture (hip -hop) in America. If that era doesn’t happen, who knows. are you okay?
— THE-DREAM MUSIC ICON (@TheKingDream) August 1, 2022
But Twitter was gone. And it also wasn’t some black creatives — including Renaissance lead co-writer The-Dream — who took issue with what he felt was a direct attack on Beyoncé.
“You mean [how] does our (black) culture have so many writers,” The-Dream wrote back. “Well it started because we couldn’t afford certain things to start, so we started sampling and it became Artform, a staple of black culture (hip-hop) in America. If it weren’t for this era[ed], who knows. are you okay?”
He then challenged her to a one-on-one writing competition, saying she “wouldn’t want that smoke” if it came down to it. “You know I love you but come on,” The-Dream wrote. “Stop acting like your records aren’t sampled.”
Warren admitted she didn’t know the history behind sampling in black music, writing to The-Dream: “I didn’t mean it as an attack or disrespect. I didn’t know that, thank you for informing me. No need to be mean about it.
The Twitter buzz also prompted Raquel Willis, an activist and former executive editor of Out magazine, to tweet about the art of collaboration, a skill she says “many can’t master.”
“It’s a white, capitalist, patriarchal idea that brilliance only happens in isolation,” Willis writes. “We see what happens when people feel their work has been taken away without proper credit.”
We see what happens when people believe their work has been lifted without proper credit. We need to be as transparent as possible about all the forces involved in what we create, and when we’re not, it means maybe we’re not as skilled as we think we are.
— Raquel Willis (@RaquelWillis_) August 1, 2022
She then referenced the pushback Beyoncé faced from Kellys, who accused the singer of sampling “Milkshake” without permission. “We need to be as transparent as possible about all the forces involved in what we create, and when we’re not, it means maybe we’re not as skilled as we think we are,” Willis wrote. “And, of course, the right credit should always come with the right compensation.”
Meanwhile, journalist Monique Judge made a thread on Twitter criticizing the approach some users took in trying to come after Warren, specifically her lack of Academy Awards despite her many nominations.
“People tell her that since she doesn’t have awards, her work isn’t great. This is a lie and goes against the argument you like to make about your favorite black artists who also have no awards,” Judge wrote. “Y’all are really mean #OnHere most of the time. Was Diane spicy? Probably. But was it all justified? Probably not.”
Y’all are really mean #OnHere most of the time.
— first of all, bitch, … (@thejournalista) August 1, 2022
Regardless of Warren’s intent and comment on whether the number of songwriters diminishes the value of what is good, one thing is certain: Renaissance is a damn good album.
As Rolling Stone reviewer Will Dukes said, “Beyoncé is more relatable than ever, giving listeners all the anthems and sultry slaps we love and expect from her, proving that inclusivity is the new black.”
As for the people credited with writing Alien Superstar, they are: Beyoncé, Honey Redmond, Christopher Lawrence Penny, Luke Francis Matthew Solomon, Denisia Andrews, Brittany Coney, S. Carter, David DeBrandon Brown, Dave Hamelin, Timothy Lee Mckenzie, Danielle Balbuena, Rami Yacoub, Leven Kali, Atia Boggs P/k/a Ink, Levar Coppin, Saliou Diagne, Mike Dean, Robert Francis Anthony Manzoli, Richard Peter John Fairbrass, Christopher Abbott Bernard Fairbrass, John Michael Holiday, Barbara Ann Tier, Kim Cooper, and Peter Rauhofer.
Add Comment