What happens when two reigning monarchs of music wear similar outfits on stage? You get the makings of a good old-fashioned ... well, NEW fashion brawl.
This time, the showdown started between two true titans of music with the "Queen of Neo-Soul," Dallas' own Erykah Badu, in one corner and the Queen Bee herself, Beyoncé. And it's all over a hat.
It started on Monday, when Beyoncé posted a photo on her Instagram of her newest stage outfit, which includes a bejeweled hockey jersey, camo leggings and a shiny mirror top hat with a wide brim. Actually, it's more of a mirror sombrero without the intricate stitch patterns.
Naturally, a lot of Bey's fans took notice of the eye-catching stage costume, including Badu herself, who posted the comment, "I'm flattered."
If you've ever been to a Badu show (and if you live in Dallas and haven't been to one yet, what the hell are you waiting for?), then you know Badu has been wearing a mirror hat or some other outlandish haberdashery in her shows for about as long as she's been on stage. She followed up her comments on Instagram with some story posts of her mirror hat appearances, adding more comments like "Hmmmm" and "I guess I'm everybody stylist."
Badu's comment and Beyoncé's post both got the fans to do what Instagram and other social media platforms are supposed to do: get people talking and sharing. Beyonce's fans replied to Badu's post with two scoops of pure shade with comments like "STFU," "DELUSIONAL" and "petty" as well as accusations of her being "passive aggressive."
"I know all about badu," wrote @raisingmassimo. "Grew up on her. Not a matter of who did it first. This comments of hers is passive aggressive and in poor taste coming on her page and claiming something. Why such insecurity when you are someone that great."
This isn't the first time that someone has hinted that Beyoncé had stolen their style. Earlier this year, RuPaul challenged her latest group of contestants on RuPaul's Drag Race to come up with unique designs for a "night of 1,000 Beyoncés," according to The Daily Beast. Contestant Sasha Colby floated a theory that her looks inspired Beyoncé's alter ego Sasha Fierce because "I was Sasha before the album came out."
"I have a conspiracy theory that, because I knew some of the dancers back when she did and they're good friends of mine, maybe Beyoncé may have seen one of my performances and thought, 'That was fierce, Sasha,' RuPaul said. "I'm just gonna say it and until Beyoncé tells me to my face that it's a lie, I'm gonna keep it."