Legendary singer Dionne Warwick said in an interview that Beyoncé is not yet an icon, saying the "Halo" singer has a "long road" before she reaches that status.

When asked if today’s generation of singers have what it takes to achieve the level of success such as “classic” artists like herself, Warwick, who began her career in the 1960s, expressed doubt.

“Not yet,” Warwick said during an interview with Essence. “I don’t know if 10 years from now, anybody can actually sing the songs of our babies today. That’s not, as you guys say, ‘throwing shade,’ it’s looking at it with reality.”

Warwick was also asked specifically about her thoughts on whether or not she considered Beyoncé an icon.

“I have an admiration for Beyoncé Knowles, Carter now. Watching her growth has been quite refreshing. It’s wonderful to see how she’s been able to create what and who she wanted to be and who she is… very proud of that, I really am,” the 78-year-old performer said.

“Now sustaining and becoming a big icon that Gladys Knight, or Patti LaBelle, or Johnny Mathis, or Frank Sinatra, or Sammy Davis Jr. is? I doubt that.”

She continued, “And I love her to death and can appreciate her talent. But that iconic status? It’s a long road [ahead].”

Warwick, who is the cousin of the late singer Whitney Houston, has won five Grammy awards and earned two number 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/dionne-warwick-says-beyonce-is-not-yet-an-icon-its-a-long-road

kitbradley said:

“I don’t know if 10 years from now, anybody can actually sing the songs of our babies today."

StrangeButTrue said:

MotownSubdivision said:

StrangeButTrue said:

I can't tell if you're agreeing or disagreeing with her lol

.

I am agreeing and I'd even stretch it to say:

.

“I don’t know if anybody can actually sing the songs of our babies today."

StrangeButTrue said:

Everytime that heifer opens her mouth, she's got something negative to say. I know she sits on her laurels and tries to dispense her vast amount of wisdom - you know, from those days when she last had a hit which was the early 80s - but seriously. She needs to be quiet. Like her or not, Beyonce has accomplished 100x more in the same amount of time that Dionne Warick her motherfucking self has ever done. I betcha we don't see Bey on an infomercial hocking psychic readings in another 20 years. The landscape is different from her days of depending on Burt for a hit, or not getting the lion's share of her work, but that's her business.

To say she hasn't sustained - she's already been in the business (if you count the first days of Destiny's Child), she's already been around 20+ years, and solo for 16 years - just reeks of jealousy. I almost think she's going off on Beyonce because of Bey's association with Aretha. Juvenile.

I wonder what happened to that biopic where LeToya Luckett is playing Dionne.

Doesn't take much to be an be an icon in 2019. I'm sure someone, somewhere, locked away in psych ward, is calling Cardi B an icon.

kitbradley said:

kitbradley said:

Doesn't take much to be an be an icon in 2019. I'm sure someone, somewhere, locked away in psych ward, is calling Cardi B an icon.

To me, Beyonce and Cardi B are on the same level.

TrivialPursuit said:

I almost think she's going off on Beyonce because of Bey's association with Aretha.

What about Aretha getting upset about Beyoncé calling Tina Turner a queen?

MickyDolenz said:

TrivialPursuit said:

I almost think she's going off on Beyonce because of Bey's association with Aretha.

What about Aretha getting upset about Beyoncé calling Tina Turner a queen?

It lends to Aretha and Dionne having more in common than they'd ever have admitted.

uPtoWnNY said:

kitbradley said:

Doesn't take much to be an be an icon in 2019. I'm sure someone, somewhere, locked away in psych ward, is calling Cardi B an icon.

To me, Beyonce and Cardi B are on the same level.

Absolutely! Both bolted their way to the top by being skanks.

I personally think Beyonce is overrated, but I guess she has done enough to be an icon. For me however it seems she has done more than Dionne Warwick when it comes down to it.

SoulAlive said:

Dionne has a catalog filled with memorable,classic songs.IMO,most of Beyonce’s songs simply aren’t very good.

If you put Bey's really good songs together pre-BEYONCÉ album, you'd have one good CD. So I agree with you. Bey's probably on earlier records is that she never knew how to put much production or instrumentation into her music. So much of her stuff is her singing over a drum beat. "Single Ladies" is catchy and all, but find the synths in that song that mean anything. "Crazy In Love" only has a sample in the chorus working for it. Examples abound ("Diva", "Ring the Alarm", etc). And even though "Bootylicious" was built on a Stevie Nicks sample, it kept a musicality throughout that song. To me, it's better than "Single Ladies" for that reason alone. It's also why "Irreplaceable" is better than some of her other stuff. She didn't write it, and it was musical in nature.

That said, it was the BEYONCÉ album, and Lemonade, that actually put music into her music. It was the most non-Beyonce thing she'd done and I think that's why I played the fuck out of that record. (Literally, at least once a day I was listening to it front to back). It's like she finally figured out how to make an album, not just a catchy song. I was getting road weary with her repetitive approach to songs.

She'll get to an icon status at some point, if she keeps breaking out of her mold and trying to do something totally different (which does not mean using a new drum machine).

Trust me, she is already there. And now all of a sudden we ARE still hearing Destiny's Child songs that are twenty years old.

Cinny said:

SoulAlive said:

Dionne has a catalog filled with memorable,classic songs.IMO,most of Beyonce’s songs simply aren’t very good.

Try watching NETFLIX's Homecoming!

I used to agree, but time and perspective has shaped her catalog, especially of the one-two punch of Lemonade and Beyonce.

Destiny's Child's hits are being treated as classics now.

And She shouldn't ever be, as with most popular musicians since 2000.....

I'm not a listener of Beyonce but who cares what Ms. Warwick thinks.

I'm not a fan of Maddona's either but I know a 30 year career didn't happen by happenstance.

I think Dionne is a little off-base here; if her fanbase is any indication, Beyonce crossed "icon" threshold quite a while ago.

That being said, there's an argument for Beyonce's actual discography to actually catch up with the idolatry. I think LEMONADE (album/long-form video) was a major step in the right direction.

This is from a dude who shouldn't be a fan of Dionne's work agewise but is nonetheless (thanks, Stevie!)

MotownSubdivision said:

Now that you mention it, she said that in kind of an odd way. I know what she means but I think "will" needs to be substituted for "can".

.

I assumed she was referring to the popular mumbling-goat-computer aesthetic that has become all the rage with the kidz these days. I miss singing.

TylerTheDebater said:

I think Dionne is a little off-base here; if her fanbase is any indication, Beyonce crossed "icon" threshold quite a while ago.

That being said, there's an argument for Beyonce's actual discography to actually catch up with the idolatry. I think LEMONADE (album/long-form video) was a major step in the right direction.

This is from a dude who shouldn't be a fan of Dionne's work agewise but is nonetheless (thanks, Stevie!)

Her fan base is out of their minds, just like the trump cult. that doesn't make an icon

omg watch Beyonce's HOMECOMING on Netflix and get back to me.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

TylerTheDebater said:

I think Dionne is a little off-base here; if her fanbase is any indication, Beyonce crossed "icon" threshold quite a while ago.

That being said, there's an argument for Beyonce's actual discography to actually catch up with the idolatry. I think LEMONADE (album/long-form video) was a major step in the right direction.

This is from a dude who shouldn't be a fan of Dionne's work agewise but is nonetheless (thanks, Stevie!)

Her fan base is out of their minds, just like the trump cult. that doesn't make an icon

Better world if we lsten to Beyonce's Obama cult, right? Practically all celebrities: politically clueless. As can only be the case when endorsing any filthy political crook of any side.

I don't know why things like this are said publically unless it is to get headlines and promote your latest project. Oh wait, Dionne is doing just that.

Curtwill1975 said:

Looking at her comments in context, Dionne's comments aren't as "controversial" as the headline makes it sound. As a major fan of Beyonce, I've been hearing criticism, a lot of it out of bounds and over the top, from nearly the beginning of her career. The thing is that because of how polarizing she's been since 1999(the year that Letoya and Latavia left Destiny's Child), it's amazing that she's had the longevity that her career has had and that much of her work has aged as well as it has IMO, not even counting her recent work. I'm a major fan so I get it but again, she's been so polarizing from nearly the beginning that I'm surprised that she still evokes this kind of passion about her musical legacy and approach to her entertainment brand. That used to bother me, especially when she waa younger in her career, but I don't care anymore. If others don't get it, it doesn't matter to me. She's had a 22 year career in the recording industry, having major success as part of a female group and as a solo act with collaborations(including an album) with her husband. If that can't be appreciated, it's not my issue. It doesn't matter if Beyonce is ever seen as "legendary" or "iconic" because she doesn't need her legacy(whatever that is) defended, appreciated or explained. It speaks for itself, it speaks loudly and eloquently. [Edited 6/23/19 9:06am]

Yes, she's talented and I enjoy a lot of her music too. She's not the second coming.....