Legendary songwriter Dianne Warren is offering a mea culpa after Beyoncé fans interpreted some of her recent tweets to be shading the artist and a song on her new album, Renaissance.
“Ok, I meant no disrespect to @Beyonce, who I’ve worked with and admire,” Warren tweeted Friday afternoon. “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding.”
Ok, I meant no disrespect to @Beyonce, who I've worked with and admire. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding
— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) August 1, 2022
Earlier in the day, Warren kicked off a firestorm when she tweeted, “How can there be 24 writers on a song?” The remark was largely seen as a dig aimed at Beyoncé’s new song, “Alien Superstar,” off her 7th studio album, Renaissance, which credits over 20 writers.
“This isn’t meant as shade, I’m just curious,” the hitmaker added. In a now-deleted tweet, the 13-time Oscar nominated songwriter also said, “That’s 23 more than are on mine.”
READ MORE: Beyoncé Responds After Being Slammed For Using Ableist Slur On ‘Renaissance’ Track ‘Heated’
This isn't meant as shade, I'm just curious
— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) August 1, 2022
A little less than an hour later Warren qualified her statements, writing, “Ok, it’s prob samples that add up the ammount of writerrs.” However, if that tweet was intended to blunt her original missive, it was too late. “It’s quite simple,” one person replied to Warren. “If you sample/interpolate several songs within a new recording, all of those original songwriters receive credit along with those who contributed to the new composition.”
Ok, it's prob samples that add up the ammount of writerrs
— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) August 1, 2022
Another Twitter user responded, “You mean how’s does our (Black) culture have so many writers, well it started because we couldn’t afford certain things starting out,so we started sampling and it became an Artform, a major part of the Black Culture (hip hop) in America.Had that era not happen who knows. U good?”
Warren addressed this critique, commenting, “I didn’t mean that as an attack or as disrespect. I didn’t know this, thank U for making me aware of it. No need to be mean about it.”
I didn't mean that as an attack or as disrespect. I didn't know this, thank U for making me aware of it. No need to be mean about it.
— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) August 1, 2022
Warren also responded to other Twitter users who took issue with her remarks. “Baby, this is definitely shade,” one person wrote in a quote tweet of the songwriter’s since-deleted tweet. Replying, Warren insisted, “It’s not!”
It's not!
— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) August 1, 2022
After another user questioned how Warren didn’t “know how samples work,” the 15-time GRAMMY nominee and 1-time GRAMMY winner said, “Coz I don’t use them.”
Coz I don't use them
— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) August 1, 2022