Beyoncé Accused of Ripping Off 'Renaissance' Look, the Bey Hive Comes to Her Defense

Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama has taken to Instagram to call out Beyoncé for allegedly copying one of his designs.

According to the Daily Mail, the look in question is a chrome body suit with a helmet that included antenna-like spikes protruding from her years.

Not only did Beyoncé appear in this outfit at some of her recent tour stops, but the look was immortalized in her "Renaissance" concert film and on the cover of her latest single, "My House."

"Yo Beyoncé," Sorayama wrote on Instagram, "You should have asked me "officially" so that I could make much better work for you as like my man The Weeknd."

In 2021, Sorayama teamed up with The Weeknd to provide new cover art for the 10th anniversary of his fan favorite mixtape, "Echoes of Silence." And when The Weeknd took his "After Hours Til Dawn" stadium tour to Europe this summer, it featured a giant Sorayama statue that The Weeknd had commissioned for this second leg of the tour. "We building a chrome metropolis for this leg," The Weeknd wrote on Instagram at the time.

While Sorayama might not exactly be a household name, he is a hugely influential figure in the world of art and entertainment. Known for his sexually charged feminine robots, he first rose to renown as the designer of Sony's original AIBO robotic dog and has since become one of the most influential artists today.

To make matters worse, Beyoncé sold merchandise featuring this chrome femmebot look, which could complicate things if legal action is taken given that she would have profited off the designs, but Sorayama has not indicated that he will be suing.

While the similarities between Beyoncé's look and Sorayama's art are undeniable, the BeyHive–as her devoted fandom is called–pointed out that Sorayama doesn't own the "android aesthetic" and that others have done it before him, namely in Fritz Lang's 1927 silent film "Metropolis."

"She's wearing Thierry Mugler based off an archive Mugler look that referenced 'Metropolis,'" wrote one fan. "Were you this incensed when she wore a similar headpiece in 2007 at the BET awards?"

"Quick unfollow," wrote another fan. "He stole the idea and then tried to drag mother? The nerve."

"You and whoever made her headpiece clearly drew from the same 'Metropolis' inspo," read another comment. "Doesn't make anyone a thief, certainly not Beyoncé."

The Daily Mail points out that the female robot from "Metropolis" has been widely copied over the years, inspiring a slew of other designs. In fact, "Metropolis" is said to have been a direct inspiration for C-3PO's look in "Star Wars." Interestingly, Sorayama himself has said that he modeled some of his early robotic work directly after C-3PO, so the connection is indisputable.

So far, Beyoncé has not responded to Sorayama's claims.

What do you think? Did Queen Bey appropriate Sorayama's work? Click through to see for yourself.

The poster for "Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé."

Sorayama's robot for The Weeknd.