On Monday, when we were recapping the Billboard Music Awards, I put up the video of Beyonce’s tribute, as well as her performance of her new single “Run the World (Girls)”. While I’m still not a fan of the song, I thought the performance was pretty decent (my problem was that the people paying tribute to Beyonce made her sound like Nelson Mandela, which she’s not). Anyway, soon after Beyonce’s performance, some people were like “Hey, that junk looks kind of familiar.” It turns out that Beyonce kind of hijacked (“stole”) the concept of the of the performance – SOME say – from an Italian pop artist named Lorella Cuccarini. For reference, here is Beyonce’s Billboard performance:

And here’s a YouTube side-by-side comparison of Bey’s performance with a 2010 performance by Lorella Cuccarini:

They are similar. Similar in visual concept, similar in approach, and they give the same vibe. But I wouldn’t call it an outright copy or theft. Except for the wing thing. The wing parts on both videos – yeah, Bey jacked that.

Anyway, AOL Music got an exclusive quote from Bey about the accusations that she’s unoriginal. Beyonce cops to knowing who Lorella is, and being familiar with the 2010 performance:

When Beyonce took to the stage at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards this past Sunday (May 22), she gave what was, quite possibly, the performance of her lifetime. It certainly ranks up there among the most memorable in the award show’s history. Honored with the Billboard Millennium Award, Beyonce performed her current single, ‘Run the World (Girls)’ while dancing and interacting with high-tech video projections synced behind her.

Indeed, the word “epic” comes to mind, as it was a dazzling marriage of choreography and technology, the likes of which have rarely been seen on live television. However, some have argued that the word “groundbreaking” might be misleading — Beyonce’s performance may have been unique in its execution, but the basic idea actually came from a performance by Italian pop singer Lorella Cuccerini in 2010. The visuals, dancing and even sequencing are remarkably similar at points. That’s no coincidence, nor is it a rip-off. Rather, Beyonce acknowledges the direct influence.

“My makeup artist showed me the performance of Lorella Cuccarini a year ago, and it inspired me so much,” Beyonce tells AOL Music, exclusively. “I then met with the talented people who worked on it. The technology and concept were so genius. Thank god for YouTube or I would have never been exposed to something so inspiring. I never worked so hard on anything in my life as that performance for the Billboard Awards.”

Naturally, YouTube is now flooded with side-by-side comparisons of the two performances and, yes, it is fascinating to see how ideas can evolve from one creative entity to the next. But whereas critics are quick to point out influences, musicians are more prone to identify them as inspiration. In turn, Beyonce’s performance will now, no doubt, “influence” other artists at future award shows. For proof, check back next year. And that, of course, is exactly why Beyonce is a Billboard Millennium Award recipient.

[From AOL Music]

Well, at least Beyonce is gracious about it and she didn’t try to pull the old “OMG, it’s original, I’m original, STFU!!” I tend to think that Beyonce was truly inspired by the 2010 performance and tried to come up with her own Beyonce-flavored version, using the 2010 performance as an inspiration.

By the way, Bey’s face still looks “different” to me. I still can’t put my finger on exactly what’s “off” though.

Photos courtesy of WENN.