A second resurfaced clip of a much younger Beyoncé has sent the BeyHive into another frenzy, with fans convinced the timing is too suspicious to be a coincidence. After a separate piece of long-forgotten footage reignited questions about the singer's authenticity and country music credentials, the latest clip has fuelled a growing theory that someone is deliberately pressing the 'sabotage' button.
With two decades-old videos suddenly making the rounds within days of each other, fans are now asking a bigger question: who is digging up Beyoncé's past, and why are they doing it now?
Why Beyoncé's Old Country Music Comment Has Fans Divided
A resurfaced interview clip shows a young Beyoncé discussing her Texas upbringing with an interviewer who links the state to country music. Asked whether the genre was ever around her growing up, she replied, 'We might have more country stations than other places but I don't listen country. I never have.'
The comment has landed awkwardly for some fans following the release of her 2024 album Cowboy Carter and its historic Grammy run. One user on X wrote, 'So her heart was never in it yet she stole that award from someone whos heart was in it.'
Not everyone read the clip as proof of bad faith. Another fan countered, 'i mean if you were to ask me 10 years ago i listened to kpop, i would have said no and now its my most listened to genre, people change and evolve.' A third noted, 'Well, she did say that the Cowboy Carter album wasn't a country album.'
Another clip has surfaced of Beyoncé saying she doesn’t listen to country music.
— BlackMedia__ (@BlackMedia___) August 18, 2026
“I don’t listen to country music. I never have.”
This resurfaced after unseen footage of her sitting on the lap of adult film director Marc Schaffel while on the phone with Michael Jackson has the… pic.twitter.com/y7NvzEWWxm
Second Resurfaced Video in Days Sparks Sabotage Speculation
This is not the only old footage doing the rounds. Days earlier, a clip from 2001 showing a 19-year-old Beyoncé taking a phone call from Michael Jackson resurfaced, prompting fresh scrutiny of her early career. The footage was filmed during a period when Jackson was working on the charity single 'What More Can I Give'.
The near-simultaneous emergence of two unflattering throwbacks has fuelled speculation that the releases are coordinated. 'Someone really pressed the red button because why are all these videos surfacing now,' one user wrote, a sentiment echoed widely across social media.
Another was more direct: 'lol someone is pushing the "sabotage" button hard. People change. People evolve. She's still one of the best entertainers ever.' Others were less convinced anything sinister was afoot, simply observing, 'this is young Beyoncé... People changed and so as her.'
“This is a 19 Year Old Beyoncé”
— Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) August 18, 2026
Hey @grok who is the grown Man who gets a young Beyoncé to sit on his lap while he talks to Michael Jackson? pic.twitter.com/UmNT0yI8gi
Some fans have speculated that rival fanbases may be involved in the resurgence of old clips, though there is no evidence to support the claim. Meanwhile, others have pointed to Nicki Minaj's fanbase, known as the Barbz, noting the long-standing tension rumours between the two artists, despite having previously collaborated on tracks including Flawless and Feeling Myself.
In 2024, Minaj appeared to take a swipe at Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter after Jay-Z's Roc Nation was involved in selecting Kendrick Lamar for the Super Bowl halftime show, though she did not name Beyoncé directly. There is no confirmed feud between the two, but they have been the subject of tension rumours over the years.
lol someone is pushing the "sabotage" button hard. People change. People evolve. She's still one of the best entertainers ever.
— Kyler (@kylerbelike) August 18, 2026
Who is releasing all these clips out of nowhere???? This seems very orchestrated
— lauren (@lokeepit100) August 18, 2026
Someone really pressed the red button because why are all these videos surfacing now 😭
— Beautiful Black Child😍🎀🎀🫶🏾 (@meaganmarkk1) August 18, 2026
Why Beyoncé's 2025 Grammy Win Still Stirs Debate Among Country Fans
The renewed scrutiny circles back to February 2025, when Beyoncé became the first Black woman to win Best Country Album for Cowboy Carter. The win came despite her having said before release that 'This ain't a Country album. This is a "Beyoncé" album.'
That distinction has been resurrected by critics, although the album was widely described as genre-bending and drew on country, blues, rock, R&B and other influences. Supporters argue the win recognised Black artists' long-overlooked role in shaping country music.
Zh'ky Johnson-Tuzo, a junior from Bermuda, approved of the award. For him, Cowboy Carter was 'country enough' to win and 'opens doors for other Black country artists.'
Critics maintain the album borrowed too freely from other genres to belong in the category. Mel McCullough, a junior from Allentown, PA, argues the win owed more to star power than the music itself, saying the album was hyped because of who was singing rather than its quality.
McCullough believed other artists deserved the award more. 'Especially for a country category I would feel robbed if I was Kacey Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, or Chris Stapleton because a pop artist won in a category that was not for them. Although I respect her as an artist, I don't think Cowboy Carter should've won,' she added.
Beyoncé said during her acceptance speech that she 'really was not expecting' to win and thanked God, her family and the country artists who worked with her. She also said, 'I think sometimes genre is a code word to keep us in our place as artists,' before encouraging artists to pursue their passions.
