Beyonce removes Kelis snippet from new song in second edit this week

By Alex Green, PA Acting Deputy Entertainment Editor

Beyonce has removed a snippet of Kelis’ song Milkshake from her track Energy following reported criticism from the singer.

At the end of the original version of Energy, the pop superstar sang a series of “las” to the tune of the 2003 R&B hit.

However, they no longer feature on the Spotify or YouTube versions of the track.

Beyonce’s use of the song is an example of interpolation, where an artist uses a melody from a previously recorded track by re-recording the melody instead of directly sampling it.

Kelis reportedly described Milkshake’s use as “theft” in an Instagram post from her official .

It is the second time Beyonce has edited a track from her new album, Renaissance, which was released on Friday.

On Monday, she said she would remove an ableist slur from her song Heated after it prompted a backlash from some fans and a UK disability charity.

In a statement to the PA news agency, a spokesperson for Beyonce said: “The word, not used intentionally in a harmful manner, will be replaced in the lyrics.”

The term is sometimes used to refer to individuals with cerebral palsy, a condition which affects sufferers’ muscle co-ordination.

Prior to Beyonce’s decision to replace the use of the offensive term, disability equality charity Scope spoke out against her use of the word, less than a month after it did the same for American singer-songwriter Lizzo.

Lizzo re-released her song Grrrls with a “lyric change” and issued a statement apologising after facing criticism for her use of the same word.