If Beyoncé is tweaking lyrics, Monica Lewinsky would like a word about ‘Partition’
Monica Lewinsky would like a word with Beyoncé about her 2014 song “Partition,” which references the former White House intern’s infamous affair with former President Bill Clinton.
After the Grammy winner vowed to remove an ableist slur from her new album, “Renaissance,” amid criticism from the disability community, Lewinsky tweeted on Monday, “uhmm, while we’re at it… #Partition.”
Lewinsky’s tweet alludes to an explicit lyric in the Beyoncé hit that name-checks her to illustrate a sexual act. On the steamy track about hooking up in the back of a car, Beyoncé sings, “He popped all my buttons, and he ripped my blouse / He Monica Lewinsky-ed all on my gown.”
The words to the song ‘Heated,’ from Beyoncé’s latest album, ‘Renaissance,’ have sparked allegations of ableism on social media.
While some in the replies defended Lewinsky and shamed Queen Bey’s fans for dismissing her trauma, others accused Lewinsky of unfairly singling Beyoncé out when dozens of other artists have also dropped her name in their work. In fact, Lewinsky is so often invoked in music that her Twitter bio reads, “rap song muse.”
“Monica Lewinsky was manipulated and sexually coerced at the age of 24 by THE president of the United States and Beyonce fans who are self identified feminists are telling her to shut up about her casual reference to her ordeal,” tweeted @obaa_boni.
“Its funny how u [silent] about all the male [artists] that reference [you] in their music but Beyoncé is where u draw the line,” tweeted @TrellsIvyPark.
Songwriter Diane Warren got a lesson in music sampling from Beyoncé’s fans and producer after questioning the many writers on the song ‘Alien Superstar.’
It’s worth noting that this is not the first time Lewinsky has called Beyoncé out for “Partition.” In 2014, she responded to the song by telling Vanity Fair, “Thanks, Beyoncé. But if we’re verbing, I think you meant ‘Bill Clinton’d all on my gown,’ not ‘Monica Lewinsky’d.’”
And according to Complex, Lewinsky jokingly introduced herself at Forbes’ “Under 30 Summit” that year by saying, “Some of you might be asking, ‘Who the hell is she, this Monica, and what is she doing here?’ or maybe even, ‘What is she doing in all of those rap lyrics?’ ... Thank you, Beyoncé and Eminem. And Nicki Minaj. And Kid Cudi. Lil B and Lil Wayne…and of course G-Eazy. But let’s not forget Jeezy. And all the rest.”
Lewinsky’s latest appeal to Beyoncé came shortly after a spokesperson for the “Lemonade” artist confirmed that lyrics to the song “Heated” would be altered following a backlash from disability advocates.
Kelis put Beyoncé and Pharrell Williams on blast Thursday for sampling one of the singer’s songs without her permission or even advance notice.
“The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced,” read a statement from Beyoncé’s team, obtained by Variety.
In response to another “Renaissance” controversy, Beyoncé has reportedly started to scrub a Kelis sample from her song “Energy” from streaming platforms after the “Milkshake” hitmaker publicly objected to it.
“I have the right to be frustrated,” Kelis said last week in an Instagram video. “Why did no one have the human decency to call and be like ‘Yo, hey, [we] would like to use your record.’”
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