Beyoncé brands Right Said Fred sampling accusation ‘false’ and ‘disparaging’

7 October 2022

Beyoncé has branded an accusation by Right Said Fred she was too “arrogant” to ask permission to sample their music “false” and “disparaging”.

Beyoncé has branded an accusation by Right Said Fred she was too “arrogant” to ask permission to sample their music ‘false’ and ‘disparaging’

The singer, 41, hit back after the group – brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass – this week made the allegation at the 2022 Broadcast Music Inc Awards in the Savoy Hotel, London, saying she used their 1991 song ‘I’m Too Sexy’ without consent in her ‘Alien Superstar’ track.

Beyoncé responded in a statement to Mail Online on Friday (07.10.22) permission was granted for her sample and the group had been paid.

The singer’s team said: “The comments made by Right Said Fred stating that Beyonce used ‘I’m Too Sexy’ in ‘Alien Superstar’. without permission are erroneous and incredibly disparaging.

“Permission was not only granted for its use, but they publicly spoke of their gratitude for being on the album. For their song, there was no sound recording use, only the composition was utilised.

“Permission was asked of their publisher on May 11, 2022 and the publisher approved the use on June 15, 2022. They were paid for the usage in August, 2022.

“Furthermore, the copyright percentage of the Right Said Fred writers with respect to the use of ‘I’m Too Sexy’ is a substantial portion of the composition.

“Collectively the Right Said Fred writers own more than any other singular writer and have co-writer credit. This accusation is false.”

Right Said Fred told The Sun on Tuesday (04.10.22): "Normally the artist approaches us but Beyoncé didn’t because she is such an arrogant person she just had probably thought ‘come and get me’ so we heard about it after the fact when you did. But everyone else, Drake and Taylor Swift, they came to us."

Drake used the track in his 2021 tune ‘Way 2 Sexy’, while Taylor included it in her 2017 single ‘Look What You Made Me Do’.

Kelis last month hit out at Beyoncé for allegedly using her 2003 song ‘Milkshake’ on her album track ‘Energy’ without consultation, which has now been removed from the song on Spotify.