When Beyoncé and the Dixie Chicks joined forces at the Country Music Awards Wednesday night for a phenomenal performance of “Daddy Lessons”, it seemed, for a small moment, that everyone and their mother came together to bask in all the glory that is country music.
The flawless rendition from the four Texan beauties was met with positive critiques from the masses, making the moment major in every aspect of the word.
me: i hate country music
beyoncé: ill be performing at the CMAs
me: https://t.co/D7nnwmFVUp— ️ (@MEL__twt) November 2, 2016
I mean everyone was hyped except for Kenny Chesney.
Kenny Chesney was not entertained by Beyonce’s performance. #CMAawards50 pic.twitter.com/2dmWCE5I7Y
— Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) November 3, 2016
So naturally, fans were scratching their heads when footage of the performance was completely wiped off the Country Music Association’s social media in less than 24 hours.
Beylievers let their Twitter fingers do the talking, expressing outrage over the digital move and inferring that Queen Bey was merely used for ratings and relevancy.
It’s disrespectful to invite #Beyoncé solely for the ratings, GET the bump, then pretend like she didn’t perform. #CMAs @CountryMusic
— April (@ReignOfApril) November 3, 2016
should we get in formation with a little information on what country music actually looks/sounds like? ok. #CMAs #CMAawards50 @CountryMusic
— Kevin Allred (@KevinAllred) November 3, 2016
Imagine being an old racist watching the CMAs and Beyonce come out in a sheer gown singin about shootin dudes hahaha they was heated
— Craig Bro Dude (@CraigSJ) November 3, 2016
White racists country fans: The CMAs are the one award show that we got left
Beyoncé: pic.twitter.com/b2B4AAqGye
— thankful rose (@YonceHaunted) November 2, 2016
CMA issued an official statement late Thursday to E! News on the matter.
“CMA has not erased any mentions of Beyoncé’s performance on the CMA Awards. In advance of the broadcast, CMA removed a 5-second promotional clip from ABC.com and CMA’s Facebook page. The promo was unapproved and CMA removed it prior to the broadcast. Beyoncé’s performance with Dixie Chicks was a highlight of the evening and we are continuing to share the amazing full-length performance clip via our official social channels.”
As of 10:49 p.m., there is no sign of Bey on CMA’s Twitter account.
On Facebook, CMA shared the performance via the Dixie Chick’s account.
The association even went as far as reposting Bey’s Instagram of the night.
Fans wasted no time decorating their comment section with bee and lemon emojis.
In an ironic twist, the awards celebrated its 50th anniversary and dipped 24% in ratings among the 18 to 49 demo since 2015, the lowest ever. All eyes were on the World Series.
Whether the erasure of the performance was done intentionally or otherwise, it just goes to show that when you bumble with the Bey, you’re sure to get stung.
