A lot of female musicians have almost been canceled. That includes Doja Cat who managed to save her career, Lana Del Rey who just had her mic muted on stage, and even Rihanna who was accused of "cultural appropriation" in her Instagram post.
It's hard to imagine someone like Beyoncé making such risks. After all, she's known for her extreme control of her publicity. But she wasn't always like that before she stopped doing interviews in 2013.
Recently, a clip of her insensitive 9/11 tribute resurfaced on the internet. There, she was seen chanting, "No passengers on my plane" on stage and performing an airplane dance.
A lot of fans couldn't believe she did that while some feel like she should have been canceled a long time ago (probably the same ones who claim she's overrated). But whether you like her or not, it's really odd that she got away with it despite cancel culture not being a thing yet.
How come no one on her team thought it would be inappropriate? Here's everything you should know about Beyoncé's pre-Renaissance scandal.
Why Did Beyoncé Say 'No Passengers On My Plane' At A 9/11 Tribute?
Beyoncé performing Diva at a 9/11 memorial in New York City was just unhinged. In the track, she says, "no passenger on my plane," as well as "this is a stick up" — which she fiercely sang in front of the families of 9/11 victims while putting her arms out like an airplane.
The crowd got quiet back there, with someone noting under the YouTube clip's comments: "The literal buildings on the screen falling down wtfffff," referring to the set's backdrop.
A Redditor also wrote: "But how is this the first time I've heard of this? This is genuinely one of the more tone deaf performances I've seen. Who greenlit this?" A commenter said that Jay-Z was to blame as he produced the concert.
A Twitter user even cited other cancel-worthy moments of Beyoncé before her image revamp in 2013. "If you want to get down to the MESS, this isn't the first time the Queen has missed the mark," the netizen wrote in 2017.
"2005: Hurricane Katrina hit, guess what she did? Sent in a video from an Atlanta performance of Through With Love for a telethon," they wrote in the thread. "2009: Michael Jackson dies. Guess what mama does? Performs Ave [Maria] at THE BET AWARDS TRIBUTE!"
The latter sparked online debates at that time as the Church Girl hitmaker sang the Catholic hymn in a skimpy outfit. Many thought that was disrespectful, let alone its dedication to the late King of Pop.
Did Beyoncé Stop Doing Interviews To Avoid Being Canceled?
In 2013, Beyoncé stopped doing interviews and started writing essays for her magazine covers instead. While it's a great move to avoid being canceled given her history, many thought that it was more of a way to keep her from "sounding like she has a fifth-grade education," as Wendy Williams once said.
The Destiny's Child alum has a lot of filmed interview moments where she either appeared slow or removed like that one guest appearance on Tyra Banks' show. But based on her statements that year, it seemed like Beyoncé just wanted to keep her personal life separate from her music.
In her 2014 documentary Beyoncé: Life is But a Dream, she said: "When Nina Simone put out a record, you fell in love with her voice. But you didn't get brainwashed by her day-to-day life, and what her child was wearing and who she is dating. All things that are really not your business. It shouldn't influence the way you listen to the voice and the art, but it does."
The elusive Prince notably refused to conduct interviews as well. But unlike Bey, it was clear that the Purple Rain singer got traumatized after he blanked during a little chat during his earlier live performances.
How Much Money Did Beyoncé Make From The Renaissance Tour?
After dropping her highly anticipated album Renaissance in 2022, Beyoncé went on her ongoing world tour in May 2023. A lot of fans were surprised by the expensive tickets, but her sold-out shows are set to outearn the Eras Tour of Taylor Swift.
Forbes estimates that the former tour can gross as much as $2.5 billion based on the average ticket price of nearly $700. Conservative estimates still range from $275 million to $428 million.
Beyoncé has a current net worth of $500 million. Her album sales alone rakedi in a total of $30.5 million. In 2014, her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour grossed $229.7 million. Her 2016 Queen Bey's Formation Tour also netted $256 million while she and Jay-Z made $5 million a night in their 2018 On the Run II Tour.
