Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Singer Lily Allen Called Out After Questioning Beyoncé For 'Calculated' Move Into Country Music

Lily Allen; Beyoncé
Dave Benett/Getty Images for Burberry; Michael Buckner/Billboard via Getty Images

Allen was met with some backlash after questioning why Beyoncé chose to cover 'Jolene' on her album 'Cowboy Carter' and claiming the whole foray into country music has been 'calculated.'

Cowboy Carter is here, y'all, and there's no stopping it (hallelujah and yeehaw).

Beyoncé's act ii album has made its way to our ears and into our hearts since its release just a couple of weeks ago, and people far and wide have weighed in on the tracks now topping the country music charts.


Dolly Parton even took to social media to praise the singer's cover of her song "Jolene," writing:

"Wow, I just heard Jolene."
"Beyoncé is giving that girl some trouble and she deserves it!"
"Love, Dolly P"

And Sir Paul McCartney did the same, giving his accolades to Beyoncé's version of his 1968 hit "Blackbird."

"I am so happy with @beyonce’s version of my song ‘Blackbird.'"
"I think she does a magnificent version of it and it reinforces the civil rights message that inspired me to write the song in the first place."
"I think Beyoncé has done a fab version and would urge anyone who has not heard it yet to check it out."
"You are going to love it!"

But one person apparently not too keen on Bey's country music takeover is singer Lily Allen, who found it "very weird" that Beyoncé decided to cover "Jolene."

The English singer-songwriter discussed the album this week on her podcast Miss Me? with cohost cohost Miquita Oliver.

"It's quite an interesting thing to do when you're trying to tackle a new genre, and you just choose the biggest song in that genre to cover."
"I mean, you do you, Beyoncé."
"And she literally is doing her — or is she doing Dolly?"

Her cohost then added that it seems to be "forcing itself to be part of its own narrative."

Allen agreed, saying that she felt it all to be a "calculated" move, connecting the album's release to Jay-Z's Grammy' speech in which he noted Beyoncé has yet to win Album of the Year.

"When Jay-Z got up and said that thing, that was part of this campaign."
"It was before the album had come out or even been announced, and she was wearing the blonde wig and a cowboy hat."

She continued:

"It's a bit about challenging these institutions that have thus far rejected Beyoncé as the icon and institution that she is of herself. Now she’s the most played woman on country radio."

Allen then added:

"I guess she's coming for that market."
"Who am I to question it?"

You can listen below.

Beyoncé revealed just before the album's release that Cowboy Carter came from a place of unacceptance and intolerance, likely referring to the 2016 Country Music Awards where her performance of her country pop song "Daddy Lessons" alongside The Chicks was not well-received by viewers.

The 32-time Grammy winner wrote on Instagram:

"This album has been over five years in the making."
"It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t."
"But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive."
"It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history."

Given Beyoncé's Texas roots and the origin of act ii, people on social media did not take too kindly to Allen's critique.

from Fauxmoi



from Fauxmoi



from Fauxmoi



from Fauxmoi



from Fauxmoi


from Fauxmoi




Many also thought it was hypocritical of Allen to bash Beyonce's two-step into the country arena when she herself is working on a country album.

No, seriously, she is.

But when her cohost brought up that fact, Allen rebutted:

"But I'm not, like, trying to conquer the country market. I'm here because I've loved country music and always have loved country music — not saying Beyoncé doesn't — but I tell stories in my songs, and quite a lot of country music does the same thing. I think it's well-suited to what it is that I do."
from Fauxmoi



from Fauxmoi



from Fauxmoi


We think it's safe to say Allen's opinions are hers alone—and she really doesn't have room to talk.

More from Trending

Screenshots from @mike.ali32's TikTok video
@mike.ali32/TikTok

TikToker Goes Viral For Yelling Out Fast Food Slogans After Buying Their Food—And The Reactions Are Priceless

We're supposed to go through life loving the people that we love so loudly that they can never doubt how much we love them. Maybe that's how we should approach the things and companies we love, too.

At least, that seems to be the approach that TikToker @mike.ali32 is taking.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @withethanlap's TikTok video
@withethanlap/TikTok

Guy Turns His Pregnant Wife's Extreme Text Messages Into A Hilariously Perfect Pop Punk Song—And It's A Banger

Anyone who has gone through pregnancy or is close to someone who has knows that the symptoms are truly no joke, and going from one day to the next can feel like an absolute rollercoaster.

Comedian and TikToker Ethan Lapierre's wife shared with him some of her symptoms, sometimes texting him that she was hungry but couldn't eat, and other times feeling like she was dying.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @missyhalleonig's TikTok video
@missyhalleonig/TikTok

A New Parenting Hack For Getting Toddlers To Stop Their Tantrums Has People In Disbelief That It Actually Kinda Works

Parents might not want to admit it, but when their toddlers are tantruming, there's nothing quite like finding a way to hilariously redirect or confuse them to help stop the tears.

In a hilarious parenting hack that's taking over TikTok, videos are appearing that all mysteriously star a woman named "Jessica," though no one can seem to find her.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @legallyswifite13's TikTok video
@legallyswifite13/TikTok

Woman Sparks Debate After Accusing Frontier Airlines Of Kicking Her Off Flight For Being Deaf

Let this Frontier Airlines saga be a reminder to all of us that not all disabilities and needs are visible, so when a person requests accommodations, it's better to believe them.

TikToker @legallyswiftie13 posted in 2024 that, though she was in her early twenties, she discovered that she would be rapidly losing her hearing, which was discovered at a routine medical check-up. Though she could still speak and hear, it would become increasingly difficult for her to hear, especially when there were competing noises in the area.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ben Sasse
60 Minutes/CBS News

Former GOP Senator Gets Brutal Wakeup Call After Criticizing People For Playing 'Candy Crush' Instead Of 'Making Babies'

Ben Sasse represented Nebraska in the United States Senate from 2015 to 2023. As a Midwestern moderate, the sometimes controversial Sasse was often critical of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump on social media and on the Senate floor.

At one point, the Nebraska GOP censured him because of his criticism of Trump. But Sasse, like Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins, would still vote with the majority of his party when his vote was needed to back Trump's agenda.

Keep ReadingShow less