Beyoncé‘s latest album has been a massive success both commercially and critically, but there’s one song that’s made some people very “disappointed” and it has nothing to do with the melody. The song is “XO”, a love song, and the controversy is the audio clip played at the beginning — a 6 second clip of taken from the moment the Challenger space shuttle exploded. The Challenger exploded in 1986 not long after take-off, killing all 7 of its crew members. Some think it’s “insensitive” of Beyoncé to sample the audio from the tragedy. The audio itself is former NASA public affairs officer Steve Nesbitt saying,
Flight controllers here looking very carefully at the situation. Obviously a major malfunction.
Which Nesbitt said as the Challenger was exploding on live TV. Beyoncé released the following statement to ABC News:
My heart goes out to the families of those lost in the Challenger disaster. The song ‘XO’ was recorded with the sincerest intention to help heal those who have lost loved ones and to remind us that unexpected things happen, so love and appreciate every minute that you have with those who mean the most to you.
The songwriters included the audio in tribute to the unselfish work of the Challenger crew with hope that they will never be forgotten.
June Scobee Rodgers, widow to Challenger Space Shuttle Commander Dick Scobee, had this to say:
We were disappointed to learn that an audio clip from the day we lost our heroic Challenger crew was used in the song ‘XO’. The moment included in this song is an emotionally difficult one for the Challenger families, colleagues and friends. We have always chosen to focus not on how our loved ones were lost, but rather on how they lived and how their legacy lives on today.
Retired NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson added,
For the words to be used in the video is simply insensitive, at the very least.
What do you think? Do you think stuff like this should be “off limits” or is everything fair when it comes to art?
Not a Beyonce fan on the best day, but was this really necessary? To remind the families of that day for what purpose? Pursuit of album sales or press? Maybe she sincerely meant what she said in her apology, but personally I don’t buy it. If she was sincere, the right thing to do would have been to talk to the families beforehand and allow them to have some input. She has no connection to this tragedy and should have thought about how the families may feel first…..before her “art”.
I agree100% this sucked. As it has been said NOWHERE other than this dialogue was this tragedy mentioned or refered to in the Video. Shame on her and the song writers for throwing this in the faces of the families directly effected by this tragedy.
AND I don’t really buy her apology either. Cutting the dialog out of it would be a good start.
seriously?…………..
I haven’t heard the song so would someone mind explaining to me how it even fits in? I don’t see how that could add anything to a song
These loser do anything for attention . They don’t give a second thought to who it affects . She did it for nothing more than the attention it would bring . She makes me sick and this is how she is gonna bring her daughter up to think its ok to do what ever it takes for attention ! Regardless who gets hurt .