‘Something in the Way You Make Me Feel’ hitmaker Stephanie Mills has a few critics feeling a way after a recent interview saw her weigh in on comparisons of Beyonce and legendary diva Diana Ross.
Look inside to see what she said that has had Bey’s beloved fans (affectionately called “the Beyhive”) swarming for days.
Stephanie – an R&B icon whose pristine voice and unforgettable hits (‘I’ve Learned To Respect the Power of Love,’ ‘Home,’ ‘Never Knew Love Like This,’ and many more) has often seen her in mention with some of the greatest vocalists of all time – recently took to VLADTV to dish on her legendary career and industry hot topics.
Longtime fans of the diva know she got her big break as ‘Dorothy’ in the TONY Award-winning, 1975 Broadway musical ‘The Wiz,’ but was replaced by Ross for its film adaptation.
As Stephanie was being quizzed about her feelings over the ousting (nearly 50 years later), the interviewer likened Diana to being “Beyonce before Beyonce.”
“I don’t think you can compare Beyonce to Diana Ross,” the 65-year-old interjected. “I consider Beyonce [to be] Hip-Hop, I consider Diana R&B and Pop. I consider Diana royalty.”
Later in the interview, Mills doubled down on her perception.
“Diana is the epitome of beauty and class to me,” Stephanie said before sharing, “I see [Beyonce] more like Hip-Hop than anything. I still think she’s wonderful, don’t get me wrong. It’s just two different generations; it’s totally different to me.”
Because mega-selling girl groups served as their respective launching pads before both catapulting to the height of stardom in music, film, and fashion, Beyonce has long been likened to Diana – a comparison the ‘Single Ladies’ singer’s fans took to Twitter to reiterate while wielding criticism against Mills for suggesting Bey was just ‘Hip-Hop’ (which some argued inferred a deeper insult).
Sending her name to trending status days after the interview first surfaced, look below to see some of their commentary about Stephanie.
Ouch!
At writing, Mills has not responded to the hoopla.