On Monday April 25, tabloid columnist Piers Morgan published a Daily Mail article on Beyoncé's LEMONADE that criticized its political overtones. Morgan—who is known for pulling these shock tactics—then found himself at the center of many heated debates on Twitter, but few responded so eloquently as U.K. singer Jamelia.
In response to Morgan's column, Jamelia—best known in Britain for chart hits like "Superstar" and "See it in a Boy's Eyes" in the early '00s—wrote an open letter that explained to him delicately exactly why LEMONADE may not be his cup of tea: because its message is not for him. "Celebrating our heritage should not be seen as a threat," she writes. "We just want what you have, fairness and equal potential, and if you don’t give it to us, we’ll fight to get it for our children."
See one of the most powerful excerpts below, and read the full letter over at The Independent.
Read the
You are a middle aged, British white man. You have no idea, I repeat: NO IDEA what it is like to be a black woman, and furthermore the sacrificial, struggle-filled, tongue-biting, mask-wearing fight it is to become a successful one.
Let me break this down for you: Beyoncé’s album is not an attack on anyone; it is a celebration of the strength, endurance and potential within black womanhood. The fact that you are mad/uncomfortable/agitated about it is evidence enough of how blind you are to the realities of being one.
Beyoncé isn’t the only one being unapologetically loud and proud of her blackness. There are many of us (go and type #BlackGirlMagic into Instagram/Twitter/Google), but you didn’t see us or notice the wave. That is why Beyoncé had to do this.
Morgan remains defensive:
But he does, at least, seem to have taken some time to read and process Jamelia's words. 🙏
Meanwhile: LEMONADE is projected to sell half a million copies in its first week.
