Beyoncé, the American singer known for rarely addressing public criticism, has spoken out against music duo Right Said Fred’s accusations that her camp did not seek permission to sample their hit song.
Right Said Fred had called Beyoncé “arrogant” in an interview with The Sun UK, alleging that she sampled their hit “I’m Too Sexy” in her new song “Alien Superstar” without permission or compensation.
In response, Beyoncé issued a statement to E! Entertainment News.
She clarified that her track doesn’t technically sample the duo’s song but rather incorporates an interpolation of “I’m Too Sexy” through a re-recording of its elements. This meant that permission was required from the songwriting publisher, which was sought and granted.
Beyoncé emphasized in her statement, “Permission was not only granted for its use, but they publicly spoke of their gratitude for being on the album.”
She also outlined the timeline of seeking approval and payment, stating, “Permission was asked of their publisher on May 11, 2022, and the publisher approved the use on June 15, 2022. They were paid for the usage in August, 2022.”
Furthermore, she mentioned that Fred and Richard Fairbrass, the brothers of Right Said Fred, received proper credit as co-writers and were adequately compensated for the use of their song.
Despite this, the duo claimed they were unaware of the use of their composition when Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” album was released in July.