Beyoncé Hits Back at Right Said Fred for Their ‘Disparaging’ Claim She Didn’t Seek Permission for ‘Sexy’ Interpolation

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Guess how many submissions Taylor Swift has on the preliminary Grammy ballot? If you know her all too well, you can probably intuit the answer to that one even before we tell you? It’s 13… of course. But there are many other burning questions about the ballot that has gone out to Recording Academy members where the answers are not so easily guessed, and we’re here to clear up some of those mysteries. The annual intrigue often centers on which categories certain genre-straddling artists ended up submitting their material in… or where that material got shifted sometimes against the artists’ wishes, as we’ve seen already this year with Nicki Minaj very vocally objecting to having “Super Freaky Girl” moved from a rap category to pop.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Arcade Fire is having trouble keeping name acts in the opening slots for its arena tours. Beck has now dropped out of his position as the opener for the group’s U.S. tour, without any explanation so far. In an email sent to ticket buyers, Beck was described only as “unfortunately no longer able to join Arcade Fire on their upcoming North American tour. Taking his place will be Boukman Eksperyans,” described as a Grammy-nominated Haitian roots band. Contacted by Variety, Beck’s reps declined to comment on his bowing out. The move was not necessarily a surprise, as fans had already been speculating whether the singer-songwriter might exit the Arcade Fire outing, after Win Butler was accused of sexual misconduct in an August Pitchfork article. Feist dropped out of her opening slot on the European leg of the tour after playing just the first two dates.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic When it comes to the 2023 Grammys, it’s easy to jump ahead and look at what we expect will be the final showdown on Feb. 3 between the top two competitors — Adele and Beyoncé. Because, yes, in the top three general categories, it’s likely to be a narrow contest that runs the gamut from A to B, as it were … almost a direct sequel to the 2017 Grammy race, in which “25” was pitted against “Lemonade.” The big question may be, will this movie have the same ending, with Adele apologizing to Bey for besting her, again? But there’s a lot of road to travel before then and considerable suspense over which other eight artists will fill out the 10 available slots in the album, record and song of the year categories. (The Recording Academy upped the slots from eight at the last minute last year, only in those divisions.) The only other virtual certainties in all three of those categories are Harry Styles and Silk Sonic, neither of whom can be completely counted out as ultimate winners, should the voting members decide they don’t even want to have to decide between all that big diva energy again

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic It wasn’t quite a proper Spinal Tap reunion, but there was some implicit history happening Tuesday night at Largo in Los Angeles as Michael McKean and Christopher Guest joined Loudon Wainwright III, the headliner for the latest in a series of Judd Apatow-hosted “Juddapalooza” benefit concerts at Largo. Besides going back together about five and a half decades as friends on the musical-comedy scene, Wainwright, as hardcore fans will know, was seen as a member of Spinal Tap in a cameo in the very first filmed comedy sketch featuring the faux group in the late ’70s. Tuesday’s Largo show featured a healthy intermingling of Wainwright performing songs from his new album, “Lifetime Achievement,” and Guest and McKean bringing back some of the very earliest Spinal Tap “hits,” along with some folk-scene collaborations. Also on tap as unadvertised guests: Beck, who sang a few of his own songs and Neil Young’s “Old Man” along with assisting others in the hootenanny, and top producer Greg Kurstin, who proved game for completely unrehearsed piano contributions and even solos over the course of the two hours-plus.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic California is in the house, and will be for the next three years, at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. A major exhibition, “Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock,” has just opened and will run through 2025. The must-see walk-through traces a history of roots music in L.A. rock that expands to include the Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers and Michael Nesmith in the 1960s; the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris in the ’70s; and Dwight Yoakam, Lone Justice and Los Lobos in the ’80s, among many other influential and sometimes commercially impactful figures. Variety recently visited the museum and spoke with co-curators Michael Gray, the facility’s executive senior director of editorial and interpretation, and Michael McCall, the museum’s senior editor, about why the ’60s through ’80s were a golden age for country-inflected rock in Los Angeles. The two curators also spoke about a number of the artifacts on display, from numerous Nudie’s-tailored jackets that set the visual tone for the era to key musical instruments to handwritten scores and setlists and even band flyers — see the gallery of photos below.

Beyonce has hit back at Right Said Fred, after they were quoted in The Sun as claiming that she had not sought permission to interpolate their song ‘I’m Too Sexy’ on ‘Alien Superstar’, a track from her current album ‘Renaissance’.‘Alien Superstar’ is the latest addition to a slightly weird trend of superstar artists using the 1991 Right Said Fred hit. Beyonce’s use follows Taylor Swift borrowing it for her 2017 single ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ and Drake using it in 2021’s ‘Way 2 Sexy’.

Beyoncé has forcefully denied Right Said Fred’s claim that she interpolated their 1992 smash hit “I’m Too Sexy” on her Renaissance track “Alien Superstar” without their permission, Pitchfork reports. The English dance-pop duo of Fred and Richard Fairbass, as well as ex-Right Said Fred member Rob Manzoli, are credited as writers on the newer song.

too “arrogant” to ask permission to sample their salacious track “I’m Too Sexy” for her new album.The “Break My Soul” hitmaker, 41, denied the claim, called the allegations “incredibly disparaging.”“The comments made by Right Said Fred stating that used ‘I’m Too Sexy’ in ‘Alien Superstar’ without permission are erroneous and incredibly disparaging,” Beyonce’s team told Pitchfork.The group, which was formed in 1989 by brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass, accused the singer of using their salacious 1992 hit for her track “Alien Superstar,” The Sun reported.The single was part of her hit album “Renaissance,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in August after being leaked online two days ahead of its July release.Beyoncé’s team said permission was asked for and granted, and the group was subsequently paid.“Permission was not only granted for its use, but they publicly spoke of their gratitude for being on the album.

Beyoncé has responded to Right Said Fred‘s claims over copyright usage on ‘Renaissance’, calling them “erroneous” and “false”.This week, the duo called Beyoncé “arrogant” for using part of their song ‘I’m Too Sexy’ in her ‘Renaissance’ track ‘Alien Superstar’.Speaking to The Sun at the 2022 Broadcast Music Inc Awards in London, Fred and Richard Fairbrass said that Beyoncé used elements of their song without seeking permission first.“Normally the artist approaches us,” they said, “but Beyoncé didn’t because she is such an arrogant person she just had probably thought ‘come and get me’ so we heard about it after the fact when you did. But everyone else, Drake and Taylor Swift, they came to us.”In a response shared with Pitchfork, Beyoncé refuted these claims, saying: “The comments made by Right Said Fred stating that Beyonce used ‘I’m Too Sexy’ in ‘Alien Superstar’ without permission are erroneous and incredibly disparaging.“Permission was not only granted for its use, but they publicly spoke of their gratitude for being on the album.

Beyoncé has branded an accusation by Right Said Fred she was too “arrogant” to ask permission to sample their music “false” and “disparaging”. The singer, 41, hit back after the group – brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass – this week made the allegation at the 2022 Broadcast Music Inc Awards in the Savoy Hotel, London, saying she used their 1991 song ‘I’m Too Sexy’ without consent in her ‘Alien Superstar’ track. Beyoncé responded in a statement to Mail Online on Friday (07.

Beyoncé has hit back at Right Said Fred, after they accused the "arrogant" singer of ripping off one of their songs with her track Alien Superstar. The British band claimed that the 41 year old singer sampled their 1991 hit I'm Too Sexy without permission – an accusation the US superstar has categorically denied.

After being accused of using the music of a popular British pop band without permission, Beyoncé is hitting back, calling the allegations "erroneous and incredibly disparaging." During the 2022 Broad Music Inc Awards in London, Fred and Richard Fairbrass, leading members of the band "Right Said Fred," called her arrogant for using their song "I'm Too Sexy" in her recent Renaissance track "Alien Superstar." "Normally the artist approaches us but Beyoncé didn’t because she is such an arrogant person," the pair told the Sun. "She just had probably thought ‘come and get me’, so we heard about it after the fact, when you did." "To use our melody they need our permission so they send us the demo and we approve it and if so we get a co-write credit," they added.

the most recent bit of controversy she’s found herself embroiled in. And she’s not holding back.Earlier this week, musical duo Right Said Fred spoke to British tabloid The Sun about their inclusion in Beyoncé’s new album Renaissance.The brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass (and their former bandmate Rob Manzoli) are all credited as songwriters on Bey’s song “Alien Superstar,” as the tune interpolates a part of their smash single “I’m Too Sexy.” That cut took over the world in 1991, and it remains the band’s biggest hit by far.In the interview, the brothers expressed how unhappy they were with their credits and the fact that something of theirs had been used on Renaissance saying, “She is such an arrogant person… She just had probably thought ‘come and get me’ so we heard about it after the fact…”Just days after the article went live, Beyoncé has not only spoken on the issue, but called Right Said Fred out.In a statement shared with Billboard, the Grammy winner claims that their version of what happened is not true, and she comes with specific details that counter their comments as well.“Permission was not only granted for its use, but they publicly spoke of their gratitude for being on the album,” she insisted via the statement.

Beyoncé is vehemently denying Right Said Fred's claims that she sampled their «I'm Too Sexy» hit in her «Alien Superstar» track without permission.In a statement to ET, Bey's rep says that «the comments made by Right Said Fred stating that Beyoncé used 'I'm too Sexy' in 'Alien Superstar' without permission are erroneous and incredibly disparaging.»The rep added, «Permission was not only granted for its use, but they publicly spoke of their gratitude for being on the album. For their song, there was no sound recording use, only the composition was utilized.»A week before Bey dropped  earlier this summer, the English pop duo's verified Twitter account acknowledged that «it's nice to get a writing credit on the new 'Beyonce' album.»The rep went on to say that Beyoncé's team asked Right Said Fred's publisher for permission on May 11, «and the publisher approved the use on June 15, 2022.» What's more, «they were paid for the usage in August, 2022.» And, furthermore, «the copyright percentage of the Right Said Fred writers with respect to the use of 'I'm Too Sexy' is a substantial portion of the composition.

Beyoncé has receipts.

Right Said Fred have reportedly called Beyoncé “arrogant” for using part of their song ‘I’m Too Sexy’ in her ‘Renaissance‘ track ‘Alien Superstar’.Speaking to the Sun at the 2022 Broadcast Music Inc Awards in London, Fred and Richard Fairbrass said that Beyoncé used elements of their song without seeking permission first.“Normally the artist approaches us,” they said, “but Beyoncé didn’t because she is such an arrogant person she just had probably thought ‘come and get me’ so we heard about it after the fact when you did. But everyone else, Drake and Taylor Swift, they came to us.”They continued: “To use our melody they need our permission so they send us the demo and we approve it and if so we get a co-write credit.

Beyoncé is speaking out after being called “arrogant” by “I’m Too Sexy” hitmakers Right Said Fred.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Although a news report went out Friday morning — and then was pulled — that Joni Mitchell had died, the story was published in error, and the singer-songwriter remains alive and well. “I can confirm all is well so this was done in error,” says a representative for Rhino, which is involved with Mitchell in an ongoing reissue series of her catalog material. The faux report went out from People magazine, with tell-tale signs of a “pre-write” obituary that was published accidentally — every major news organization’s worst nightmare. “Joni Mitchell Dies at TK AGE,” read the headline that was seen on the magazine’s website as well as in a tweet, the “TK” meaning “to come” in journalistic parlance. The story itself also included editorial notes indicating details that needed to be filled in.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Taylor Swift kept the “Midnights” oil burning later than usual late Thursday night and early Friday morning, revealing not just the name of one song at midnight, as has been her custom in the buildup to the Oct. 21 album release, but all five of the remaining mystery track titles, one per hour, until she finally reached a grand finale at 4 a.m. ET. And that final track reveal had — as she promised — “QUITE the twist of an ending,” with Lana Del Rey being revealed as making the only featured appearance by a guest on the album. Del Rey will make her cameo on a song titled “Snow on the Beach,” which will be track 4 on “Midnights.” The other four tracks whose titles were revealed over the course of the wee hours were “Lavender Haze,” set to be the first track on the album; “You’re on Your Own,” track 5; “Labyrinth,” track 10; and “Sweet Nothing,” track 12.