The CMAs have released a statement denying suggestions that they "scrubbed" their website and social media accounts of content related to Beyoncé's surprise performance with the Dixie Chicks last night, after rumors of the organization doing were reported on Thursday afternoon.
"CMA has not erased any mentions of Beyoncé’s performance on the CMA Awards," a rep for the CMAs wrote to The FADER in a statement. In advance of the broadcast, CMA removed a five-second promotional clip from ABC.com and CMA’s Facebook page. The promo was unapproved and CMA removed it prior to the broadcast. Beyoncé’s performance with Dixie Chicks was a highlight of the evening and we are continuing to share the amazing full-length performance clip via our official social channels."
Beyoncé was joined onstage Wednesday night by the Dixie Chicks for country-tinged rendition of her Lemonade standout "Daddy Lessons" at the CMA's 50th anniversary show. Since the show aired last night, however, the CMAs have seemed oddly quiet about the blockbuster performance. Multiple outlets, including TMZ, speculated that the CMAs had been intentionally "scrubbing" content.
On the award show's website, Beyoncé and the Dixie Chicks are both absent from the official list of performers and presenters. The CMAs' Twitter contains no reference to, or footage of the performance, despite featuring clips from virtually every other performance from the broadcast.
Earlier on Thursday, the Dixie Chicks official Twitter retweeted a tweet from iHeart Media personality Big D that read "So, @dixiechicks make a massive comeback with @Beyonce last night & @CountryMusic tries to cover it up?" The band's account also tweeted out a link to the studio version of the collaboration, released on SoundCloud last night, saying: "If we all turn this up really loud, together we can drown out the hate."
A quick social media browse confirms that the crossover performance was indeed polarizing. As Complex points, out the comments on the lone social post the CMAs did make on the performance (a Facebook re-post from the Dixie Chicks), are largely negative. The most popular among them, with over 900 likes, reads, "Next time lets not invite artist who support racist organizations and are anti-police."
Beyoncé is also historically protective of footage of her, performance or otherwise. Reps for Beyoncé and The Dixie Chicks did not immediately respond to The FADER's request for comment.
