Beyoncé under fire for using NASA recording of deadly space shuttle tragedy in song
Beyoncé is being criticized for her use of a NASA recording for her most recent album. The song “XO,” features a sound clip from the space shuttle Challenger, which crashed in 1986 killing everyone on board.
In a statement, Knowles said the use of the clip was a “tribute” to the astronauts who died. Still, family members of those astronauts aren’t happy with the choice. Others are not only calling the choice insensitive, but have likened the Challenger tragedy to 9/11.
In the clip that opens her song XO, listeners hear a NASA announcer saying, “Flight controllers here looking very carefully at the situation. Obviously a major malfunction.” These words were uttered as the crew and their disintegrating vehicle were still falling into the sea,” said Keith Cowing, a former NASA employee and founder of Nasawatch.com.
Although Beyoncé did not apologize for using the clip in the song, she did try to explain, saying, “My heart goes out to the families of those lost in the disaster.
The song ‘XO’ was recorded with the sincerest intention to help heal those who have lost loved ones and to remind us that unexpected things happen.”
January 28 will mark the twenty-eighth anniversary of the Challenger disaster.
Should Beyoncé issue an apology? Should the song be remixed?
Sound off below!