Beyoncé’s Rep Seems to Respond to Erykah Badu's Album Cover Criticism

Beyoncé Shares She Made Cowboy Carter After Experience Where She “Did Not Feel Welcomed”

Beyoncé’s publicist is laying her cards down, down, down, down.

And Yvette Noel-Schure is clear that no one should come for her client. Shortly after Erykah Badu criticized Beyoncé’s new album cover—implying the singer’s braided and beaded bangs were copying Erykah’s own signature look—Yvette seemed to share a post in defense of her artist.

Under a March 20 video compilation showing Beyoncé in braided hairstyles and beads throughout her career, Yvette wrote, “She slays. She slays. Now. Then. Always. act ii COWBOY CARTER 3.29 #criticswithoutcredentials.”

Yvette’s post comes after Erykah—a fellow artist from Beyoncé’s home state of Texas—reposted the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer’s album art for Act II: Cowboy Carter to her March 20 Instagram Story, over which she wrote, “Hmmm.” The 53-year-old then took to X, formerly known as Twitter, where she reached out to Beyoncé’s husband Jay-Z.

“To Jay Z,” she wrote, adding a laughing emoji. “Say somethin Jay. You gone let this woman and these bees do this to me??”

E! News has reached out to Erykah’s rep for comment but has not yet heard back.

The album art in question features Beyoncé posed like the Statue of Liberty—with a lit cigar replacing the torch—in nothing but a red, white and blue sash, which reads “Act II Beyincé,” the spelling of which is a nod to her mother’s maiden name. Past clerical errors resulted in some members of Tina Knowles’ family spelling their surname with an “I” instead of an “O.”

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy & Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for GQ

Since announcing the album, Beyoncé has been candid about the ways in which Cowboy Carter—which is the Grammy winner’s first country album and is set to release on March 29—came to be.

“This album has been over five years in the making,” she wrote in a March 19 Instagram. “It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive.”

In fact, it was this experience that encouraged Beyoncé to reach new musical heights

“The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me,” she added. “Act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

And much like Renaissance, Beyoncé wants Cowboy Carter to exist as a standalone journey—hence it’s dedication as a Renaissance “act ii.”

“I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop,” she explained, before adding, “This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!”

So until Cowboy Carter is released, stick around, round, round, round, round and keep reading for some of Beyoncé’s best looks from her Renaissance tour.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood

Virgo’s Groove

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood

Shinin’, Shinin’, Shinin’, Shinin’

Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood

Queen Bey

Mason Poole

Silver Siren

Mason Poole

Lighting Up the Stage

Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood

Mood 4 Eva