Beyonce song uses Challenger disaster audio clip

[Antares]

Pathetic that she's a native Houstonian.

Nice to see that the E-Street circus doesn't always kowtow to those with whom Pennsylvania Avenue rubs elbows.

This is just more tone-deafness from the elites.  Lorde would never do this

[nlec]

Best use of NASA soundbites in a song:  Rush -Countdown

[Moskit]

Initial sound clip is in total disconnect with the song. It brings back a memory of a particularly bad moment in spaceflight history, while the song is a pop love-story showing people having fun and enjoying themselves.

Even the title is plain confusing. In USA "X" is apparently used as shorthand for word "cross", with "Xing" = crossing and so on. That would make the title "XO" = cross(ed) out, as in the shuttle got crossed out??

Whatever the reason, I don't feel it was a good decision by Beyonce to use that sound clip, and it certainly does not feel like a tribute song. I do agree though with what was written here earlier that perhaps for Beyonce young fans Challenger tragedy is by now as remote (and devoid of substance) as much older historical events.

That story is certainly international now, with local press covering it along the lines of "Tasteless use of tragedy clip by Beyonce, who defends her choice".

[strangequark]

Even the title is plain confusing. In USA "X" is apparently used as shorthand for word "cross", with "Xing" = crossing and so on. That would make the title "XO" = cross(ed) out, as in the shuttle got crossed out??

The title is from a different American idiom, which uses Os and Xs to mean "hugs" and "kisses".