Update 08/03/2022: After Beyoncé removed some offensive lyrics from “Heated,” she continued to make edits, dropping the sampled interpolation of Kelis’ “Milkshake” and “Get Along With You” from her song, “Energy,” per The Hollywood Reporter. The sample doesn’t appear on Tidal and Apple, and Kelis did not appear in the song’s credits.
Original: Kelis has responded to allegations that Beyoncé sampled her 1999 song “Get Along With You” on Renaissance — and the 42-year-old was not happy about it. “My mind is blown too because the level of disrespect and utter ignorance of all 3 parties involved is astounding,” she wrote under her verified handle @bountyandfull. The “Milkshake” singer made the comments on a news post from fan Instagram account @KelisTrends that appeared to be responding to leaks of Bey’s new album, which added a “mind blown” emoji. HollywoodLife has reached out to reps for both Beyoncé and Kelis.
Kelis alleged that she was also not informed of the sample through any official channels, but through online news. “I heard about this the same way everyone else did. Nothing is ever as it seems, some of the people in this business have no soul or integrity and they have everyone fooled,” she said. The song in question appeared on Kelis’ debut 1999 album Kaleidoscope, and was produced by Pharrell Williams as The Neptunes.
When one fan responded to Beyoncé “sampling again,” they suggested that the Destiny’s Child star should make it “publicly known this time,” clarifying that there are beliefs that Beyoncé was inspired by “Caught Out” for the track “Ring The Alarm.” Kelis then replied, “it’s ridiculous” on the comment. Notably, Beyoncé sampled 1993’s “Show Me Love” by Robin S on “Break My Soul.”
Kelis didn’t stop there, chiming in with more replies. “I always felt like Beyoncé really admired Kelis,” one fan suggested as Kelis retorted, “admire is not the word.” Another referred to the sample as a “collab,” as Kelis quickly clarified, “it’s not a collab, it’s theft.”
Beyoncé, 41, is dropping her long-awaited seventh album at midnight on Friday, July 29 — six years after Lemonade. While details have been mum, dance seems to be the theme of the project based on the lead single. “My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment,” she said in a statement posted to Instagram. “A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration. I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are,” she also said.