This week, social media turned into a good ‘ol country showdown as Erykah Badu stood in a virtual face-off with the Beyhive. Leading up to the highly anticipated release of her country album, “Renaissance, Act II: Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé has been giving sneak peeks into the album’s cover art on Instagram.
As previously reported by theGrio, the star kicked off a 10-day countdown to the album’s release by posting a U.S.A-inspired cover in which she rides a white horse while wearing a red, white and blue latex cowboy ensemble and holding the American flag aloft. On Wednesday, she continued the countdown by sharing the limited-edition vinyl cover of “Cowboy Carter.” The exclusive cover art shows a nude Beyoncé posing with nothing but a red, white, and blue sash reading “act ii Beyincé” while holding a smoking cigar. While fans raved over the meaningful inclusion of her mother, Tina Knowles’ maiden name, Beyincé, on the cover, others homed in on the “Renaissance” singer’s braided hairstyle. Her beaded butt-length braids, complete with a beaded bang, specifically caught singer Erykah Badu’s attention.
Mirroring a look the “Bag Lady” singer-songwriter has worn before, Badu reposted Beyoncé’s cover with the caption “hmmm” on her Instagram story. The seemingly shady comment ignited the Beyhive, who quickly took to social media in Beyoncé’s defense.
“Erykah Badu is such a hater. Beyoncé has worn braids since the beginning of her career. Erykah does not own braids. As long as that hairstyle has been in the Black community and you feel that someone wants to copy you? Sit down !!! If you’re jealous, just say that.” one user tweeted.
“Erykah Badu gives Soulja Boy vibes thinking she invented every damn thing,” another shared on X.
Notably, this is not the first time the “Tyrone” singer has filed copycat claims against Beyoncé. During the Renaissance World Tour, Badu called out the star for wearing a similar large silver hat, writing, “Hmm … I guess I’m everybody’s stylist” on her Instagram.
While some fans cracked jokes about Badu’s one-sided beef with Beyoncé, others struggled to understand the root of the issue.
“What is Erykah’s problem with Beyoncé? She shouted her out in a song and Erykah [has] been shady ever since. I’m so confused,” one user wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Another added: “Erykah Badu is always unnecessarily weird when it comes to Beyoncé. Especially being from [Dallas,] a city so close to Houston. You would think she would root for her Texas sister. But it’s alright.”
However, one of the biggest things fans noted was that…Badu is far from the first Black celebrity to rock a beaded, braided bang. In addition to other female singer-songwriters like SZA and Brandy, who also rocked the hairstyle in recent years, fans highlighted musicians like “Stevie Wonder, Rick James, Patrice Rushen, Linda Greene of Peaches & Herb” who were known to wear beaded braids long before Badu reached stardom, as did Venus and Serena Williams, who brought the style to the Eurocentric world of tennis. Similarly, others highlighted the ancestral roots of braids within Black culture and across the diaspora.
“Someone needs to tell that lady [Erykah Badu] that the continent of Africa would like a word,” one user tweeted.
While Badu called on Jay-Z to ward off the Beyhive on X, Beyoncé’s publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, clapped back at Badu’s claims on Instagram.
“She slays,” Noel-Schure captioned a video compilation of Beyoncé wearing braided hairstyles across the past two decades or more. “She slays. Now. Then. Always. act ii COWBOY CARTER 3.29 #criticswithoutcredentials.”
Regardless of whether Badu or Rick James inspired the braids, the elements within Beyoncé’s album cover art, like her mother’s maiden name to the American flag color theme, align with the overarching theme of reclamation seen in the star’s latest projects.
“I focused on this album as a continuation of RENAISSANCE…I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning, and never stop,” Beyoncé wrote on Instagram. “This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album.”
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