https://twitter.com/musicnewsfact/status/979099922459848704
While many may believe Beyoncé can do no wrong, some are decidedly not fans of her recently unveiled Nefertiti-inspired spring collection.
The crop top, hoodie, and shirts available on Beyoncé’s official online store feature the “On The Run II” tour performer in a headpiece similar to the one the ancient Egyptian queen wore.
Once the apparel was unveiled Wednesday, March 28, Egyptians and others began firing off tweets expressing their dislike for Bey’s royal take.
“As an Egyptian, I feel insulted, queen Nefertiti sweetie I’m so sorry,” someone wrote.
“I’m all kinds of mad about Beyoncé literally selling herself as Nefertiti. My country’s history and culture has been so brutally commoditized and commercialized and exported to everyone’s satisfaction and convenience for GENERATIONS. I’m not spending a dime on her.”
“If Katy [Perry] had done that all of fake woke stan twitter would be dragging her for ‘cultural appropriation’ but when it comes to Beyoncé…” someone tweeted.
“Beyoncé the culture vulture is now trying to sell Nefertiti merchandise,” someone else said. “What a rat.”
However, others disagreed that Bey was appropriating anything or generally unbothered by it.
“Beyoncé literally named the entire collection as Nefertiti, she never tried to pass it as her own,” a user wrote.
“I know it’s a sensitive subject for a lot of us [because] of what Jay-Z has done to Egyptian music but Beyoncé posing as Nefertiti really isn’t ‘appropriation’ it just doesn’t apply here,” one person said. “Our economy has always been heavily reliant on tourism [because Europe] keeps stealing our natural resources.”
“The funniest thing about Egyptians being upset about Beyoncé doing the whole Nefertiti thing is that this is all they have to cling on to,” someone tweeted. “This really isn’t the hill you want to die on. Why don’t you lot address how you and everyone in your family hate Black people and then we can talk about this?”
“Also just to let y’all know, no, I don’t care about Beyoncé dressing up as Nefertiti,” another user said. “I care about tangible things like Jay-Z sampling Abdelhalim’s music and not crediting him as if Egyptian art is somehow less valuable than American art.”
This isn’t the first time Bey has channeled an African higher up. Her 2017 Grammys performance featured her dressed as Oshun, the Yoruba deity.
