The Beyhive took Glamour Magazine to task after the online magazine published a piece listing Beyoncé‘s top and worst songs to celebrate the entertainer’s 40th birthday Saturday.
Glamour writer Candace McDuffie compiled a ranking of the 10 best and 10 worst tracks culled from Beyoncé’s solo catalog. Despite the ranking, she left a disclaimer at the top of the article saying, “Spoiler: They’re all amazing.”
Among the top three favorite picks were “Formation,” “Mood 4 Eva” and “Me, Myself & I.” On the other hand, McDuffie’s selection of “Kitty Kat” as the second-worst song in Beyoncé’s discography drew scorn from many on social media. Produced and co-written by The Neptunes, “Kitty Kat” appears on Beyoncé’s sophomore album B’Day.
McDuffie said that she took issue with the song’s accompanying music video as well as Beyoncé’s attempt to “channel a feline alter-ego” with her vocals.
“The video is just as cringeworthy, with Beyoncé donning a sequined leopard-print bodysuit while riding an oversized black cat,” McDuffie wrote. “An artist taking a creative risk is always valued, but sadly, I think Bey missed the mark with this one.”
Many members of the Beyhive took to social media to display their distaste for McDuffie’s assessment of “Kitty Kat,” so much so that it became a trending topic on Twitter. Some shouted the song’s praises.
“Kitty Kat is literally one of Beyoncé’s best songs,” one Twitter user with the name mick said.
“Kitty Kat is undoubtedly the best Beyoncé record to ever exist. The bridge and post-bridge rap alone >,” a user who goes by Mel Smith posted.
Others challenged McDuffie’s opinion about the song.
“Imagine writing in a major publication that Kitty Kat Christ is one of Beyoncé’s worst songs,” digital creator Fonz Franc said in a post, accompanied by a cartoon of a girl with an incredulous look on her face edited to include a handgun and bullets on a desk.
“I would love to know the age of the Glamour editor who ranked Kitty Kat Beyoncé’s top 2 worst song…,” another user named Tierra Harris said in a tweet that included a photo of the decorated singer.
For the worst song on the list, McDuffie chose “Beautiful Liar,” another B’Day track. She wrote that the song, a duet with Shakira, “feels cheap and relies too heavily on each artist’s sexual desirability instead of their vocal capabilities.”
Again, fans took to Twitter to air out their disdain.
“Making a list of Bey’s ‘worst’ songs the day before her bday is very bold, but putting KITTY KAT on that list? Bold and dumb,” a Twitter user named Donovan posted, which drew another critical reply from another account.
“SANDCASTLES????? SUPERPOWER??????BEAUTIFUL LIAR????? I’m starting to understand why the beehive used to chase ppl off the internet like what?” a user with the name Young Padajuan said in a reply calling out three of McDuffie’s picks in the least-favorite list.
“im sorry what??? they put so many bangers in the worst category. this is slander,” a user with the name olivia said. “now excuse me while i go listen to kitty kat, suga mama, beautiful liar, schoolin life, superpower and sandcastles, ty.”
McDuffie chose a total of three songs, including “Suga Mama,” from the album B’Day, which celebrated its 15th anniversary on Saturday as well. The album is a triple-platinum success, making it Beyoncé’s second biggest selling album, according to Billboard. It spawned the Top 10 Billboard 100 hit singles “Irreplaceable,” “Deja Vu” and “Beautiful Liar.”
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