Beyoncé has honored the late Tina Turner AGAIN — even though her first tribute didn’t go over so well!
On Monday, the performer sang an emotional rendition of River Deep, Mountain High during a stop in London amid her Renaissance world tour. According to a video shared by a fan account on Twitter, she sang a slower-tempo version of the 1996 hit while wearing a blue jumpsuit that featured a bulging waist and sheer train.
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Ch-ch-check out her performance (below)!
Beyoncé pays homage to the late, great Tina Turner in #London, with a performance of “River Deep, Mountain High.”
????️ https://t.co/gQt79tz5wy #RWT2023 pic.twitter.com/Dt07Ft3OW7
— BEYONCÉ LEGION (@BeyLegion) May 29, 2023
AH-mazing!
Though we have to admit, it kinda seems like Beyoncé hasn’t been informed of all the drama her first tribute sparked! This is the third time Queen Bey has paid tribute to the deceased singer since her death last week. The Simply The Best vocalist died on May 24 after a “long illness,” but her rep didn’t specify what illness. The Ivy Park founder also performed Proud Mary at a concert in Paris after the death was announced, telling the audience to “scream so [Tina] can feel your love.” She then opened up about how much the legendary musician meant to her, saying:
“If you’re a fan of mine, you’re a fan of Tina Turner. ‘Cause I wouldn’t be on this stage without Tina Turner.”
She continued:
“I feel so blessed that I was alive to witness her brilliance. I also feel very blessed to be here to perform once again.”
These performances come after the Grammy winner paid tribute to the 83-year-old in a statement after her death, but her remarks were quickly slammed when fans called out Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z for previously making a “mockery” of Tina’s history of physical abuse from her ex-husband Ike Turner. In their 2013 debut, Drunk In Love, the rapper says:
“Beat the box up, like Mike in ’97, I bite / I’m Ike Turner, turn up baby, no, I don’t play / Baby, no, I don’t play, now eat the cake, Anna Mae / Said eat the cake, Anna Mae!”
Anna Mae Bullock was Tina’s legal name. The cake reference relates to an alleged dispute between the couple in which Ike forced Tina to eat a slice of cake, even shoving it into her mouth when she refused.
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Fans were upset by the reference and the Cuff It artist’s refusal to acknowledge her mistake while mourning the loss, saying online:
“All you need to do is watch What’s Love Got To Do With It to see where Jay Z got the ‘eat the cake, Anna Mae’ reference and that’ll make you sick to your stomach. Beyoncé was complicit because it was on HER song”
“knowing that Tina Turner was Beyoncé’s blueprint and one of her biggest influences makes that ‘Eat The Cake Anna Mae’ line in Drunk In Love even more jarring”
“Beyoncé putting up a Tina Turner post/tribute when she literally said, ‘Eat the cake Anna Mae’ on one of her biggest songs is wild”
In 2019, the New York Times even asked Tina what she thought of the hit and she said she was “not surprised.” Oof. It’s such a bummer that Beyoncé considers Tina such an idol and yet would allow this lyric! What do U think, Perezcious readers?? Sound OFF (below)!
[Image via FayesVision/WENN & CBS Sunday Morning/YouTube]
