Beyoncé Appears to Omit Lizzo Shoutout During ‘Break My Soul’ Performance
Beyoncé’s captivating Renaissance World Tour features a setlist that spans the entirety of her 25-year career, including her most recent Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper, “Break My Soul.” During the show, Beyoncé combines the original solo version of “Break My Soul” with the Madonna-assisted “Queens Remix,” in which she shouts out several influential Black women in music across genres and generations. Lizzo and Erykah Badu are among the names that appear in the remix, but Beyoncé delivered those lines a bit differently at her show in Boston Tuesday night (Aug. 1).
The studio version of “The Queens Remix” boasts the lyric “Betty Davis, Solange Knowles/ Badu, Lizzo, Kelly Rowl’.” At Tuesday’s show, Beyoncé did not say Lizzo’s name, and instead chanted “Badu” four times. Both Badu and Lizzo’s names appeared on the screen behind Beyoncé. It should be noted that Beyoncé does not always sing every name in the verse during each rendition of the song.
Beyoncé’s reps have not yet responded to Billboard’s request for comment.
The apparent omission of the “Special” singer’s name did not go unnoticed by fans who shared video from the concert. Just earlier in the day, news broke that Lizzo is being sued by three of her former tour dancers, who claim that they were subjected to sexual harassment and a hostile work environment.
As for Badu, the Grammy-winning neo-soul icon seemingly shaded Beyoncé on Monday (July 31) over perceived similarities between the hats the two artists wear onstage. “I guess I’m everybody stylist,” she wrote in a since-expired Instagram Story.
Watch some clips of Beyoncé’s Boston “Break My Soul” performance below:
Kyle-Brandon Denis
Billboard
