Beyoncé’s Most Controversial Moments: Lyric Changes, the Monica Lewinsky Reference and More

Beyonce is the queen of music and controversies. Her (in) famous lyrics that caused a stir are just one of the scandals from her glamorous life. Queen-bey was part of several singing and dancing competitions as a child but rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of R&B girl's group Destiny's Child. Soon after, she became a pop culture sensation.  

Fame follows controversies. And Beyonce is no stranger to it. Several artists take inspiration from real-world problems and make music out of it. Back in 2013, her song Partition took a subtle dig at (in)famous Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton's extramarital affair in 1998. It was done and dusted. 

However, the former White House Intern resuscitated the offensive lyrics in 2022 during Beyonce's Rennaisance Tour, per US Weekly. It is her first solo album since 2016's Lemonade. But it was critiqued by a lot of fans. They claimed she used a lot of slurs, including the activist-former president's love affair. 

The Grammy singer sang the lyrics of the steamy song: He popped all my buttons, and he ripped my blouse / He Monica Lewinsky-ed all on my gown. In response, the 50-year-old Lewinsky wrote an essay in May 2014, referencing the NSFW line about her. She corrected the Beautiful Liar singer and suggested some tweaks. 

She wrote, "Thanks, Beyoncé, but if we're verbing, I think you meant 'Bill Clinton-ed all on my gown,'" per Vanity Fair. As a consequence of the cheating scandal, Clinton was impeached soon after, and Lewinsky became a "gag-line" for the creatives. Regardless, the controversy remained in Beyonce's resume, so to speak. 

Another dispute in the singer's life also surrounded her Rennaisance album. The Milkshake rapper Kelis called out Queen-bey and the producers for allegedly sampling her 2003 single in the song Energy without her permission. She claimed on Instagram, "It's not about me being jealous. It has to do with the fact that, from one artist to another, you should have the decency and common sense and the courtesy to call."

No public statements were made by either the singer or her team, but reportedly, the sampling has been removed from the Spotify version of the song. A third controversy involved using a slur in one of her songs. The My Power singer announced in August 2022 that she would change the lyrics of her song Heated following a backlash from disability rights activists.

The controversial line included: "Spazzin' on that ass, spazz on that ass." It has a slang term which is derived from the word "spastic." The activists who raised questions argued the word is considered a slur among people with cerebral palsy. Upon learning this, Beyonce's team released a statement, clarifying, "The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced." 

Music aside, Beyonce landed in another controversy with people of conservative political views. Her 2016 Super Bowl performance of Formation featured the Halo singer and her dancers wearing Black Panther-inspired ensembles. They claimed it fostered anti-police sentiments. 

Addressing the issue, she told Elle in 2016, "I mean, I'm an artist, and I think the most powerful art is usually misunderstood. But anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of the officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe."