Hajime Sorayama has publicly called out Beyoncé regarding visuals she’s been using on her ongoing RENAISSANCE film tour. The graphics in question show Bey clad in a cyber femme bot headdress and suit similar to the painterly aesthetic that the Japanese artist has come to be known for.
On Instagram, Sorayama reposted an image from the tour, cheekily commenting: “Yo @beyonce 🤘 You should have asked me “officially” so that I could make much better work for you as like my man @theweeknd ✊.” At the time of writing, it’s not clear, publicly at least, if Beyoncé’s team has responded on the accusation. Fans of both sides, however, have sounded off. A neutral stated: “I’m a fan of your work, but this is a reach. These visuals have been out since May, when the tour started; however, now you suddenly have a problem with it?” While went on to call it Sorayama’s own visual style: “Metropolis, Mugler, Gaultier, and more have all done this. You don’t own the Android aesthetic.”
To echo the artist’s sentiments, Sorayama defenders came in droves to call out the sudden Metropolis (1927) historians out there, noting that “You can still be a Beyhive but still be critical. I immediately thought she collaborated with Sorayama for the android visuals. This is a bit of a letdown.”
Imitation as flattery or swagger jacking? Chime in below.
