Keri Hilson Breaks Silence on Beyoncé Diss Track: “It Wasn’t My Words”

The R&B singer reflects on the industry pressure behind her 2009 controversy, revealing she was forced to record the track and has carried the fallout ever since.

In an emotional and revealing interview on The Breakfast Club, singer-songwriter Keri Hilson finally opened up about the long-standing controversy surrounding her alleged 2009 Beyoncé diss track—a remix of “Turnin’ Me On” that cast a shadow over her career for years. The remix, which featured pointed lyrics interpreted as jabs at Beyoncé and Ciara, sparked widespread backlash and left Hilson defending her artistry in silence. Now, more than a decade later, she’s sharing her side of the story—and it’s not what many expected.

“It’s a regret,” Hilson admitted, “but not in the way people would think. Because that’s a song I actually didn’t write. Those are not my words.”

At the time, Hilson was an emerging R&B artist on the cusp of releasing her debut album In a Perfect World under Interscope Records. With high-profile producers Polow da Don and Timbaland backing her, she had been touring with Lil Wayne and building momentum. But behind the scenes, the pressure was mounting—and, according to Hilson, it came to a head in the studio.

A Track She Never Wanted to Record

Hilson described being blindsided when she returned to the studio to record a remix verse. She expected to write her own lyrics, only to discover that Polow da Don already had a verse—written by someone else—ready to go.

“I come into the studio and he plays me this verse,” she recalled. “Automatically, I was like, ‘I’m not saying that.’ That was my position.”

The lyrics included pointed lines like:
“Your vision cloudy if you think that you’re the best / You can dance, she can sing, but she need to move it to the left, left / She need to go have some babies. She needs to sit down, she fake…”

While many listeners interpreted the lyrics as directed at Beyoncé, Hilson said she didn’t even know who the words were targeting at first. Still, she recognized their tone—and wanted no part in it.

“I’m an athlete but I’m a finesse player. I’m not a nasty player, I’m not a dirty player,” Hilson explained. “But we disagree there, Polow and I. Because he believes in kind of the shock jock mentality. He believes in playing dirty and I don’t.”

Hilson attempted to resist, writing her own verse and hoping it would be selected over the other. But the pressure escalated.

A Career on the Line

She described the situation as “forceful,” saying it went beyond creative differences and veered into threats against her future.

“My album wasn’t out yet, so it was like, ‘You’re not coming out if you don’t do this.’ The mistake that I made was not continuing to fight, but I was in tears. I was crying. I was adamant that I did not wanna do that,” Hilson said, recalling how powerless she felt at the time.

Though she recorded both versions as instructed, the original “diss” verse leaked just days later. Hilson now believes it was no accident: “That was what he wanted to happen.”

The fallout was swift and brutal. The public and media speculated about who the lyrics were aimed at—Beyoncé, Ciara, or both—and the response painted Hilson as a villain in a drama she never wanted to be part of.

Protecting Others, Bearing the Blame

Despite the backlash, Hilson chose to remain silent for years—refusing to throw others under the bus. “I protected him. I protected the girl that wrote it, who went on to become famous. I protected everyone in the story so I have to eat that and I’m still eating it to this day. It’s like I’ve worn the scarlet letter.”

That co-writer has since come forward. Ester Dean, now known for her successful songwriting and acting career (Pitch Perfect), responded to the controversy on Instagram. “It was a hit!,” she initially commented, before offering a deeper, more reflective apology.

“Looking back, it was childish and didn’t age well,” Dean wrote. “I see how it hurt people, especially women, and I take full accountability. I’m sorry for my part in it. Growth is real, and so is this apology.”

Fear, Silence, and Respect for Beyoncé

Hilson confessed that she regrets not speaking out sooner about the true origin of the lyrics. “I just didn’t want to step into shit anymore. I was shook. I was scared,” she admitted. But she clarified that her fear had nothing to do with Beyoncé.

“Not of her—I love her. I think she’s incredible. She’s one of the greatest artists of all time. I’m a fan, have always been. That’s never been in question for me,” Hilson emphasized. “But now it’s a name I can’t say.”

A Decade Later, Still Healing

More than 15 years after the remix’s release, Hilson is still dealing with the repercussions of that moment. Her candid reflections shine a light on the darker side of the music industry, where creative control can be wrested away from artists, and silence often feels like the only form of protection.

What remains clear is that Hilson has grown—both as an artist and as a woman unafraid to reclaim her story.

“I was super young. I felt I had no power, I felt I had no choice,” she said. Now, by speaking up, she’s finally beginning to take it back.