Keri Hilson has opened up about her “regret” over a remix of her song ‘Turnin’ Me On’ that included a personal swipe at Beyoncé.
In 2009, the remix surfaced online, containing pointed lyrics that have been widely interpreted as a thinly veiled shot at Beyoncé. Lines included, “Your vision cloudy if you think that you’re the best / You can dance, she can sing, but she need to move to the left, left”.
The backlash against Hilson for the recording saw her public image taking a hit, with many believing it caused her career to slow down significantly.
Now, she has spoken about the whole ordeal in a new interview with The Breakfast Club. She stated that the remix was not her idea, claiming she was pressured into it by her producer Polow Da Don, and emphasised the lyrics in question were not written by her.
Watch the interview below, as well as the remix in question.
She says she objected to the “nasty” sentiments of the lines, but was still coerced into going ahead with it, something she said she was powerless to prevent. “I’ve forgiven myself, but I’ll never forget what that moment cost me,” she said.
Ester Dean, a songwriter for Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry, later admitted that she had written the verse. She issued an apology to Hilson in the comments section below the new interview, calling the lyrics “childish” and saying they had not aged well.
Dean also said she co-wrote the verse with Hilson, which prompted Hilson to reply directly: “You used the word co-wrote. I RE-wrote 3 lines in your verse.” She also said her contributions were innocuous lines about a boy, not a diss against Queen Bey. Hilson also complained that Dean had remained silent for 16 years on the subject, while she had been made to bear the brunt of the criticism.
Beyoncé has never publicly commented on the issue. Hilson told People recently that she has never spoken to her about it, added: “I’ve always wondered what she was told about that, if she was told the truth. I don’t know if it will ever happen, but [getting to talk to her about it] is something I’ve dreamt about.”
Hilson is preparing to release her third studio album ‘We Need To Talk’ on April 18.
Beyoncé, meanwhile, is playing a run of huge US, UK and European gigs in the coming months, kicking off at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium on April 28. See the full list of dates here and find any remaining tickets here.