The Country Music Association has released a statement in response to accusations that they erased any mentions of Beyoncé’sCMA Awards performance with the Dixie Chicks from their website and social media accounts. CMA’s statement explained that a five-second promotional clip was removed from ABC.com and CMA’s Facebook page prior to the broadcast, but that was because the promo was unapproved. The CMA then praised Bey’s performance with the Dixie Chicks as a highlight of the evening and said they would continue to share the full-length performance clip on their official social channels.

·         In an interview with the New York Times, CMA’s chief executive, Sarah Trahern, further clarified that the promotional clip was taken down before Wednesday’s (11/2) show at Beyoncé’s request. Trahern said, “Beyoncé’s team hadn’t approved that, so we pulled it down. Fans can get kind of passionate and read other things into it.”

·         The statement comes amid some backlash to Beyoncé’s appearance on the CMA Awards, with some social media users criticizing the pop icon for her recent activism for police reform and the Black Lives Matter movement.

·         Dixie Chicks responded to the criticism on Twitter saying, “If we all turn this up really loud, together we can drown out the hate.” The tweet was accompanied by a link to the download of the song “Daddy Lessons.”