Diane Warren Apologizes for Seemingly Shading Beyoncé's Use of Co-Writers: 'I Meant No Disrespect'

Warren took to Twitter on Monday to ask, "How can there be 24 writers on a song?" seemingly in reference to Beyoncé's Renaissance track "Alien Superstar"

Diane Warren attends the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images); Beyonce attends TIDAL X: 1020 at Barclays Center on October 20, 2015 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Monica Schipper/FilmMagic)
Diane Warren, Beyoncé. Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty; Monica Schipper/FilmMagic

Diane Warren wants the Beyhive to know she meant no harm.

After the Grammy-winning songwriter took to Twitter on Monday to ask, "How can there be 24 writers on a song?" seemingly in reference to Beyoncé's Renaissance track "Alien Superstar," several Queen B fans interpreted her post as shade and informed her about the album's prominent use of samples.

"This isn't meant as shade, I'm just curious," Warren, 65, who collaborated with Beyoncé, 40, on 2011's "I Was Here," wrote in one of a few follow-up posts, another of which read, "Ok, it's prob samples that add up the amount of writers."

"How you've been in the game for 80 years and don't know how samples work?" asked one Twitter user.

"Coz I don't use them," replied Warren, who was swarmed with comments criticizing her age and lack of Oscars wins, as the "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" songwriter received 12 nominations at the ceremony before she was given an honorary award earlier this year.

Beyoncé's main Renaissance co-writer, The-Dream (whose real name is Terius Nash) then chimed in with an educational reply to Warren: "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?"

"I didn't mean that as an attack or as disrespect," responded Warren. "I didn't know this, thank U for making me aware of it. No need to be mean about it."

She then issued an apology tweet and mentioned the "Break My Soul" singer directly: "Ok, I meant no disrespect to @Beyonce, who I've worked with and admire. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding."

In an interview about the Twitter spat with Rolling Stone, Warren echoed her previous statements. "I meant no disrespect by my tweet. I love Beyoncé's new album," she told the outlet. "She's an amazing groundbreaking artist who I've worked with and admire immensely."

"Alien Superstar," released with the rest of the Renaissance album on July 29, features the following credited co-writers: Beyoncé, Honey Redmond, Christopher Lawrence Penny, Luke Francis Matthew Solomon, Denisia Andrews, Brittany Coney, S. Carter, David Debrandon Brown, Dave Hamelin, Timothy Lee Mckenzie, Danielle Balbuena, Rami Yacoub, Leven Kali, Atia Boggs P/k/a Ink, Levar Coppin, Saliou Diagne, Mike Dean, Robert Francis Anthony Manzoli, Richard Peter John Fairbrass, Christopher Abbott Bernard Fairbrass, John Michael Holiday, Barbara Ann Teer, Kim Cooper and Peter Rauhofer.

According to the 28-time Grammy winner's website, the track samples and/or interpolates songs including Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy," Foremost Poets' "Moonraker," Barbara Ann Teer's "Black Theater" speech and Danube Dance's "Unique." As a result, she's credited each of the aforementioned songs' co-writers on "Alien Superstar."

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