Monica Lewinsky has a suggestion for another song lyric Beyoncé should change


As long as Beyoncé is tweaking song lyrics, Monica Lewinsky has a request.
After Beyoncé confirmed she would change a recently released song to remove ableist language, Lewinsky suggested the singer should make another tweak.
"Uhmm, while we're at it... #Partition," Lewinsky tweeted.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
She was referring to Beyoncé's 2013 song "Partition," which references former President Bill Clinton's affair with Lewinsky with the lyrics, "He popped all my buttons, he ripped my blouse. He Monica Lewinski'd all on my gown."
This wasn't Lewinsky's first time taking issue with the lyric. She wrote in Vanity Fair in 2014, "Thanks, Beyoncé, but if we're verbing, I think you meant 'Bill Clinton'd all on my gown,' not 'Monica Lewinsky'd.'"
Lewinsky defended her request for the change amid criticism from Beyoncé fans, who questioned why she refers to herself as a "rap song muse" in her Twitter bio. "Because learning to laugh about things which hurt or humiliated me is how I survived," she tweeted. She also clarified she hasn't reached out to Beyoncé to request the change, and when asked why she was focusing on Beyoncé over other artists who have referenced her in songs, she shot back, "Because. there. was. an. article. about. her. (not them). changing. lyrics. on. my. TL."
Beyoncé has already made multiple tweaks to her new album Renaissance since its release last week. In addition to removing the word "spaz" amid criticism that this is an offensive term, she also removed a sample from the song "Milkshake" after the artist, Kelis, accused her of "theft."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Christian Brückner: why prime suspect in Madeleine McCann case can refuse Met interview
The Explainer International letter of request rejected by 49-year-old convicted rapist as he prepares to walk free
-
Angela Rayner: the rise and fall of a Labour stalwart
In the Spotlight Deputy prime minister resigned after she underpaid £40,000 in stamp duty
-
Crossword: September 16, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play