Lainey Wilson Under Fire, Accused Of Stealing Beyoncé’s Aesthetic

Days after Snoop Dogg invited country music star Lainey Wilson on stage with him to perform during his Netflix Christmas Day special, fans have been criticizing the “Heart Like A Truck” singer, accusing her of stealing Queen Beyoncé‘s country aesthetic.

After Netflix shared an image of Wilson wearing an all-white, cowboy-inspired costume for Snoop Dogg’s Christmas Day performance, many fans flooded the comments to argue that the award-winning artist had actually copied Beyoncé, who performed in a similar look the year before.

“So, once again… they copied Beyoncé,” a user wrote, while another commented, “Baby, I swear it’s deja vu,” referencing a lyric from Beyoncé’s second studio album, “B’day.”

The comparisons didn’t stop there, though, as many others filled the comment section with Beyoncé gifs and memes.

“So, y’all copied and pasted last year’s performance? Got it…” another wrote.

A year ago, Beyoncé gave her first-ever live performance of songs from her genre-bending eighth studio album, “Cowboy Carter.”

The performance was a spectacle of lights, fireworks, and flying objects, with Beyoncé prancing around the massive football field for nearly 15 minutes.

She was dressed in all white, wearing a massive white cowboy hat and curly hair.

The special, titled “Beyoncé Bowl,” was actually recognized for its costuming, as it won an Emmy for “Outstanding Costumes For a Variety, Nonfiction, Or Reality Program.”

“This show was a reclamation of space as well as a visual love letter to Black cowboys, country-music icons, Texas legends, and Black culture,” said Shiona Turini, one of the special’s costume designers.

“The conversations were always evolving. The furry chaps on the dancers were definitely a nod to Black cowboys, the studded Levi’s jeans, that incredible image of Linda Martell [from Ebony magazine] sitting on the fence. It was about exploring what it means to be Black in the Western space and paying homage,” she said.

Of course, Beyoncé fans are fiercely protective of their queen, given the pushback she received from country singers and radio stations after the legendary artist announced she was releasing a country-inspired album.

Country star Luke Bryan broke his silence on the singer’s apparent CMA snub, calling it a “tricky” situation. “I’m all for everybody coming in and making country albums and all that. But just by declaring that, just because she made one. I don’t need [a nomination], just ’cause I make one,” he said.

Continuing, Bryan seemed to criticize Beyoncé for not being “country” enough. But where things get a little tricky, and, and you know, if you’re gonna make country albums, come into our world and be country with us a little bit. Beyoncé can do it exactly what she wants to. She’s probably the biggest star in music,” he said.

Before this year’s Christmas Day halftime show, Wilson had given Beyoncé her flowers during public interviews and expressed her excitement about the singer’s journey into country.

“I love it,” Wilson said. “The more the merrier. I’m like, again, it’s about storytelling. It’s just about making people feel at home, and everybody wants to feel at home.”

Wilson took it even further, seemingly defending Beyoncé from the naysayers who spoke poorly of her two singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.”