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Beyonce has explained her use of a news report sample about the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, in which seven people died, on her new track 'XO'.
The song is the lead track from the star's 2013 self-titled album, and includes an extract from a public affairs officer speaking of the incident. "Flight controllers here looking very carefully at the situation – Obviously, a major malfunction," says the spokesperson Steve Nesbitt in the sample.
NASA representatives have labelled the sample as 'inappropriate in the extreme' and demanded it be removed from the track.
"The choice is little different than taking Walter Cronkite’s words to viewers announcing the death of President Kennedy or 911 calls from the World Trade Center attack and using them for shock value in a pop tune," says former NASA employee Keith Cowing, states The Hollywood Reporter.
Following US criticism of the sample, Beyonce has since claimed that the extract has been used in tribute to the people who lost their lives.
"The songwriters included the audio in tribute to the unselfish work of the Challenger crew with hope that they will never be forgotten," she told ABC news. "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."
Watch the video for Beyonce's 'XO' below
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