Just a tip for all international pop stars going forward: Listeners will notice if you sample the audio recordings of national tragedies. After family members and former NASA employees criticized Beyoncé for her use of an audio sample from the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in the song “XO,” she issued a statement to ABC News explaining, “My heart goes out to the families of those lost in the Challenger disaster. 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.” Another tip: Maybe don’t use said audio in a song that contains the phrase “I’m crashing into you.” It just seems like the kind of thing people will notice, and generally not care for.
