Paul McCartney Reacts To Beyonce's 'Blackbird'

Graeme O'Neil takes a look at Paul McCartney's reaction to Beyonce's cover of "Blackbird" featuring Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts.

[@lilkeyla5769]

Thats why i find it odd when people get mad about her cover on it- the people clearly dont know the history of the song lol and Beyonce obviously reaches out to those that she'd do a cover of, also hes been to her concert last year, safe to assume he would already love it and knew about it since CC was done before Renaissance

[@vuksgitau]

It is beautiful and I fell in love with that song before knowing the inspiration to the song. I get it now and I love it even more.

[@charismao5515]

Beyonces version with the four other talented women - of Black Bird made me proud, inspired and emotional Beyoncé tears. Thank you B - for your brilliance, bravery and depth!!!

[@mikelm222]

Also, It sounds to me like Beyonce's version includes McCartney's original guitar track in the right channel. If so. I love the fact that the new version is so sweetly & powerfully tied to the original recording.

[@kennethjohnson2917]

That is true. Paul is credited as the guitarist on the Beyonce version.

[@halloweenicole]

My Dad, who is a massive Paul fan, just told me that Paul gave his blessing for her to sing over the original track. 🥹

[@idillard]

I love both versions and am glad the Beyonce put it on her new fabulous album Cowboy Carter! It is good that Paul McCartney approves.

[@tisacudmore5979]

In my opinion he would not have a choice unless he wanted to be banished as a racist, etc. Dolly would not let Elvis Presley record her most song. She didn't care what people said and never sold her integrity.

[@rogerskillin8385]

He okayed her using the Beatles backing track... so yea, he approved.

[@nicholasgarrick8855]

Legend respecting legend we love to see it.

[@jae6506]

Glad to see his support!! The song is a love letter to Black women. Her version makes it by Black Women for Black Women…the depth in meaning is boundless. Beyoncé rly is a Queen.

[@ttadavis1443]

The FOUR Black female country singers on Black Bird reference the FOUR little Black girls killed in the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Paul said the LR9 inspired the song as well as Black women in the Civil Rights movement.

[@kiroolioneaver8532]

The best clip of Paul is when he talks about how he gave Ye the instrumental for "All Day" lol

[@tamaramims225]

Good for her🎉🎉🎉

[@bmarie216]

Blackbird is a good song. I really like the Beatles so I’ll have to listen to Beyonces now.

[@pioneeracademy6488]

Sony owns it because Michael Jackson died. Michael Jackson purchased the catalog in 1985 and made subsequent deals with Sony that reduced his 100% ownership. After his death, Sony exercised their option to acquire the rest of the Beatles Catalog from the Michael Jackson estate.

[@thegworlsarefighting]

Right but out of respect I’m sure she reached out first.

[@Chief]

And thats why mj was unalived, because of all the publishing he owned and how much he was worth dead. so sad

[@sandymarble6207]

If I'm not mistaken McCartney wanted that catalog for years. You're saying that Sony owns it? If anything, after MJ's estate didn't own the catalog, or parts of it, any living Beetles should have gotten that. It shouldn't be owned by a company; IMO.

[@mlynettepinky595]

I remember Paul said he told Michael he was going to buy the Beatles songs Something he regrets telling Michael went behind his back and bought it Paul had to pay Michael estate to sing his own songs. This was a lesson, its best not to tell your friends or anyone what you are going to do sometimes Because people will go behind your back and do stuff.

[@dammitjim9131]

Imo, if Paul McCartney didn't like it, he just wouldn't have said anything. Also, Paul is a very nice guy, so I'm sure he did like it (ie. his personality is to love not hate), and liked that an African American woman of just notoriety did a cover of it.

[@Menehune3461]

@@mikelm222why spread venom? This sentence says so much more than your releasing out. Just say what you truly want to say.

[@OnesSystem]

What he likes is the free publicity. I wonder if this would have still happened had he still owned the rights and had to be asked before anything got recorded….. oh but how dare I speak out right. I must be a hater.

[@ronaldronz4599]

​@gameswithtemplar7930 he doesn't need free publicity, he's THE Paul McCartney. You're deductive reasoning to arrive at your short sited conclusion is indicative of your lack of intelligence & cognition. ✌️ 😂

[@kimlinden2280]

@@OnesSystem You think McCartney was in need of publicity? Really?

[@Menehune3461]

@@mikelm222 no you posting that you meant something else clearly, and that you're backtracking because you got caught don't act slick. If you truly didn't care that much, you would've scrolled on, it went about your business, and hadn't said anything at all..

[@kiranholt3296]

❤❤❤

[@user-tb1lq2hl9n]

There's is countless of versions of that tune from #selvasterandthetwotonsoffunblackbird

[@TheBoomtown4]

Get two phones, start the original and the new one side by side at the same time and buckle up. As a duo it’s even better

[@SlashFredo]

Blackbird is the 8th most recorded song ever?!?!?!?!

[@sheilabrown8357]

Wow, there’s a lot of haters here. Paul liked it and so do millions of other people.

[@tinajohnson4685]

She just redoing everybody’s song

[@b.b.s2860]

🙄

[@PJGRAND]

Beyonce's cover of blackbird is absolutely wonderful

[@waynecarter8143]

I am not familiar with the song, but I like that snippet of it.

[@BlackHammer0891]

Love everything Paul said. But it’s hard to believe that John didn’t go-write this song.

[@MrJosephcunningham]

Paul gave permission for his performance

[@MikaelDorfer-ub9ci]

Birdie nom nom ❤

[@peterschmitz6446]

I normally have no Interest in Songs from Beyonce, but this Cover is really amazing, although I never felt any political Message in it. For me it always was a Song about a Bird and nothing else.

[@franciscoresto7707]

Grammy 2006

[@dirtydiana3416]

Please we already have karaoke Miley Cyrus,singing everybody cover songs. I think AI should not be a big deal. I don’t like it but it should not hurt the music industry. Write your on songs or sing your own songs. 🎤 A classic movie or song should always remain classic✨

[@CowmanUK]

Personally I find it a little over produced, but then I just love the simplicity of McCartney's original. But I'm not knocking it. If I hadn't heard the song before then I'd probably love it now. It's fine. Just a little overproduced for my taste.

[@rogerd3051]

Sony sold the rights back to McCartney

[@silverdays3683]

They stole the rights of The Beatles songs from Michael Jackson who bought that before he died and they're stealing it from his mother

[@scottmacdonald7409]

Did you sleep in that shirt?

[@daptekar]

I hate covers! Not a fan of Beyoncé either.

[@tisacudmore5979]

I personally shake head as someone who is a musician and in radio for 30 years feel that you all feel you need to bow down and praise Beyonce Knowles like you do. I grew up on a ranch, and rodeo. NOT Rodeo Drive to pretend. I can dance and sing in my underwear in my own home to Joan Jett but it doesn't make me a rock star. Never will.

[@afroqueen698]

Do you actually think Beyoncé grew up in Beverly Hills or are you saying she can’t do country because she currently lives there? Because Beyoncé is from Houston, Texas and also grew up riding horses and going to the rodeo. She’s even performed at the rodeo in Houston a couple of times. You don’t have to like Beyoncé or her music, and there are valid critiques of her, but a lot of y’all are upset about stuff that isn’t even real and often based in either jealousy or bigotry

[@tisacudmore5979]

It's neither and to call me a bigot is bigotry. My Grandmother's name was Mona White Eyes Cherokee Indian. I've trained, raced, showed horses all my life and I can tell you this, I know true cowboys. Perhaps if she wanted to show her abilities this would have been the time. She doesn't know how to rain a horse and was always on the wrong lead. But wearing crotchless shapps and your breaststroke hanging out would make that hard to do.

[@tisacudmore5979]

Singing at a rodeo does not mean you can rope, barrels, team, ride a bull. Show me where she has done that and I will eat crow and apologize.

[@serveriamanning6313]

​but can YOU sing?!😂😂😂😂nope. Beyonce drives some of ya'll insane. 😂😂😂😂

[@rorojones59]

We should only bow down and praise Jesus Christ.

[@SWog617]

McCartney took the high road... but what else could he say? Seeing somebody else trying to make $$$ off of your work must aggravate most artists. There are too many covers these days. Movies... music... TV shows. It's almost like people have run out of ideas, or are too lazy to come up with their own.

[@melissaward6311]

I didnt care for her version. Her voice doesnt fit. Im just used to Paul's masterpiece.

[@bridge2space]

Does Beyonce have any songs that are her own?

[@keombebe6243]

Say it with your chest instead of framing it as a question like a coward would.

[@mikelm222]

Yes

[@carolynmacgregor4765]

Yes, she has plenty of songs and albums too. Thank you!!!!

[@Shadypooh]

What a stupid question

[@RfQsheo59]

Lets cover "Strange fruit" by Billie Holiday instead..

[@tisacudmore5979]

And to Joy Behar and Beyonce Knowles fans, Dolly is way out of your league.

[@travisjay43]

Oh Lord another Beyonce story. 🙄

[@nichmcneil8563]

Yes, is something wrong????

[@sephorabernard]

You know you clicked on another Beyonce story. No one force you to do it 🙄

[@travisjay43]

I didn't even listen to the story, I just want to complain about how sick and tired I am of having her shoved down my throat with this overrated whack ass album she just released. Problem? 🤔

[@dolleyes5062]

....And you watched it anyway.

[@kimlinden2280]

Someone's in denial that they have free will and choices to make in how they spend their free time.

[@OnesSystem]

Just what we needed, Beyoncé using someone else’s material….. again.

[@sonic_aquarius]

The vast majority of her material is HERS. She’s the lead songwriter on her albums and has produced tracks as well. Blackbird was put on the album for a specific reason. She doesn’t cover songs just to cover them. Oh, and Dolly actually asked Beyoncé to cover Jolene years ago. Please know what you’re talking about before spewing bullshit.

[@OnesSystem]

@@sonic_aquarius oh I know my shit honey. The amount of silences out there is phenomenal, and should we be surprised that she didn’t even ask…. Cmon! Lead by example! Sample after sample after sample.

[@OnesSystem]

@WillyFisher412 I’d get back to hiding your head in the sand.

[@dolleyes5062]

As long as Beyonce's giving credit where it's due, the songs are great and the checks clear, it's all good, as far as I'm concerned.

[@kimlinden2280]

@@OnesSystem Paul literally wrote that she thanked him for letting her do it. That means she did ask.

[@adam55627]

hes old and just being nice

[@nichmcneil8563]

Hater😅😅😅😅

[@OnesSystem]

Stay on the right side don’t wanna end up like Aaliyah.

[@dolleyes5062]

....Or he actually loves Beyonce's version. Sometimes a cigar is JUST a cigar.

[@zay57]

And you're probably a white man upset over a black woman being exceptional at her craft

[@mygaygenes]

too fast but decent. check out jon batistie version for the real deal. Paul, why you didn't say anything about that classy hit, uh?