Beyoncé has been publicly recognized for her generosity in supporting fellow artists after SZA revealed she owes Beyoncé for sampling a song but was never asked for repayment or credit. In December 2022, SZA released her SOS album, which included an interpolation of Beyoncé’s 2006 track “Listen” from the Dreamgirls soundtrack, and according to SZA, Beyoncé made no demands despite the sample’s prominence.
Speaking on social media, SZA commented,
“I literally owe her half my publishing off interpolation alone on SOS and she never pressed me lmao a generous QUEEN ?”
This statement came in response to a viral skit that humorously depicted Beyoncé’s practice of giving credit to all contributors, regardless of their role.
SZA’s use of “Listen” is evident in the lyrics found at the end of her track, where she sings lines that closely mirror Beyoncé’s original:
“And I cried and cried / Said what’s on my mind,”
which echoes the original lyrics,
“And I’ve tried and tried / To say what’s on my mind.”
Despite this clear homage, Beyoncé did not initiate any legal action or request payment, further reinforcing her reputation for supporting other artists generously.
The news adds a new layer to the discussion of artist collaboration and intellectual property, highlighting Beyoncé’s approach to creative sharing within the music industry. Observers and fellow musicians may look to this event as a model, but questions remain about how often such generosity can be sustained in a competitive environment.
