Beyonce Criticized By NASA For ‘XO’ Sample Ms. Bels Thursday, January 2, 2014 The Studio Beyonce is catching some flack this week. While still celebrating her platinum-selling self-titled album ‘Beyonce’, the folks over at NASA is a little upset with the superstar. According to the Associated Press, officials over at NASA claims that Beyonce used an audio sample on her track “XO” of noise from the devastating space shuttle explosion of 1986. The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster tugged at the hearts of every American as millions grieved for the seven crewmembers who lost their lives in the incident. Family members of the deceased criticizes Beyonce for using the audio and also the words “major malfunction” as to compare a failed relationship to that of the shuttle disaster (or catastrophe of that same scale). “The Challenger accident is an important part of our history; a tragic reminder that space exploration is risky and should never be trivialized,” said the statement from Lauren B. Worley, NASA’s press secretary. “NASA works every day to honor the legacy of our fallen astronauts as we carry out our mission to reach for new heights and explore the universe.” Beyonce skillfully explained her reason for using the sample at the beginning of “XO”. “My heart goes out to the families of those lost in the Challenger disaster,” Beyonce’s statement said. “The song `XO’ was recorded with the sincerest intention to help heal those who have lost loved ones and to remind us that unexpected things happen, so love and appreciate every minute that you have with those who mean the most to you. The songwriters included the audio in tribute to the unselfish work of the Challenger crew with hope that they will never be forgotten.” Some of the family members felt that listening to the sample was “emotionally difficult” and that it shouldn’t have been used at all. Beyonce did not issue a formal apology. Question is…who cleared the sample anyway over at NASA or the publishing house that owns the rights to the noise??
