Songwriter Diane Warren came under fire on Monday (August 1) after seemingly calling out Beyoncé for her latest album, Renaissance, of which each song has a number of writing credits due to her use of throwback samples and interpolations.
“How can there be 24 writers on a song? [eye roll emoji],” Warren — who has written songs for stars like Cher, Celine Dion and Bey herself — tweeted, before adding, “This isn’t meant as shade, I’m just curious.”
This isn’t meant as shade, I’m just curious
— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) August 1, 2022
While Beyoncé wasn’t directly mentioned, fans widely believed that the jab was directed towards the 28-time Grammy winner, whose new track “Alien Superstar,” for example, is credited to more than 20 writers.
Singer-songwriter The-Dream chimed in on the heated discussion that ensued in the original tweet’s replies, writing, “You mean how’s does our (Black) culture have so many writers, well it started because we couldn’t afford certain things starting out, so we started sampling and it became an Artform, a major part of the Black Culture (hip hop) in America. Had that era not happen who knows. U good?”
In response, Warren wrote, “I didn’t mean that as an attack or as disrespect. I didn’t know this, thank U for making me aware of it. No need to be mean about it.”
I didn’t mean that as an attack or as disrespect. I didn’t know this, thank U for making me aware of it. No need to be mean about it.
— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) August 1, 2022
Soon after the backlash, Warren had a change of heart, tweeting out, “Ok, it’s prob samples that add up the ammount of writerrs [sic],” before referring to Bey directly. “Ok, I meant no disrespect to @Beyonce, who I’ve worked with and admire. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding.”
See below.
Ok, it’s prob samples that add up the ammount of writerrs
— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) August 1, 2022
Ok, I meant no disrespect to @Beyonce, who I’ve worked with and admire. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding
— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) August 1, 2022
