Beyoncé pays tribute to Tina Turner after 'vile and horrific' reference in hit song
It may be her 'Renaissance' tour, but Beyonce has come under fire for her tribute to the late Tina Turner.
The 41-year-old's comments come just days after the late musician’s fans hit out at the ‘Single Ladies’ singer and accused Beyonce of 'mocking' Turner.
It's after lyrics from one of the 'Lemonade" singer's songs resurfaced online, with fans dubbing them 'vile and horrific'.
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During her marriage to Ike Turner, the rock ’n’ roll icon had been the victim of domestic abuse for well over a decade.
Although she was finally able to separate from him in 1978, the Grammy winner was also subjected to intimidation in public.
During one dispute, Turner refused to eat a cake, with her then-husband lashing out at the ‘Proud Mary’ star.
The well-documented incident had been depicted in the 1993 biopic, What's Love Got to Do with It, but was also referenced in Beyonce’s song, ‘Drunk in Love’.
In fact, Jay Z references both Ike and Turner, referring to her by her birth name – Anna Mae.
During the iconic track, he raps: "I'm Ike, Turner, turn up / Baby no I don't play / Now eat the cake, Anna Mae / I said eat the cake, Anna Mae."
Understandably, Turner’s fans have been unimpressed by the recently resurfaced lyrics and accused the pair of ‘mocking’ Turner.
In a pointed tweet, one fan wrote: “Reflecting on Tina’s legacy, I’ve always been surprised + disappointed how her being a domestic violence survivor somehow always turned into a joke, esp. in rap music.”
They added: “That’s one reason I don’t play 'Drunk in Love' often, because of Jay Z’s verse + his reference to ‘eat the cake.’”
Others have made similar comments on Twitter, with screenshots of the lyric being circulated on social media.
After one user shared the image, another fan added: “A reminder that Jay-Z and Beyoncé on ‘Drunk in Love’ say these words, mocking Tina Turner (Anna Mae) being beaten up by Ike Turner, & ref the moment he pushed her face into her celebration cake to abuse her.”
Despite this, Beyonce still paid tribute to the late singer during her Renaissance Tour.
Appearing at the Stade De France, the Beyhive watched on as Beyonce explained how much the late musician meant to her.
Referring to the singer’s sudden passing on Wednesday, she told fans ‘scream so [Turner] can feel your love’ during the sold-out show.
“If you’re a fan of mine, you’re a fan of Tina Turner,” she continued, “Cause I wouldn’t be on this stage without Tina Turner.”
She added: “I feel so blessed that I was alive to witness her brilliance. I also feel very blessed to be here to perform once again.”
Topics: Beyonce, Jay-Z, Celebrity, Music, Tina Turner
Katherine Sidnell