Acclaimed guitarist Carlos Santana is retreating on his remarks about Beyonce after aggressively poking the overly agitated Beyhive.
The rock icon was regaling singer Adele Adkins with more adulation following her record-breaking wins at the 59th Grammy Awards on Sunday, including her victory over Beyonce's "Lemonade" for album of the year.
"I think that Adele won because she can sing sing ... . With all respect to our sister Beyonce, Beyonce is very beautiful to look at and it's more like modeling kind of music _ music to model a dress _ she's not a 'singer' singer, with all respect to her," Santana, 69, told the Australian Associated Press ahead of his band's New Zealand and Australia tour dates.
Santana, a 13-time Grammy winner who once performed with Beyonce in 2003 at a pre-game show for the Super Bowl, kept digging a hole by explaining why Adele won.
"She doesn't bring all the dancers and props. She can just stand there and she just stood there and sang the song and that's it. And this is why she wins," he said.
Beyonce's fans dragged Santana on social media, and the escalating furor prompted him to issue a statement on Facebook on Tuesday clarifying his remarks and lauding the showstopping performer.
"My intent was to congratulate Adele on her amazing night at the Grammies," he wrote. "My comment about Beyonce was regretfully taken out of context. I have the utmost respect for her as an artist and a person. She deserves all the accolades that come her way. I wish Beyonce and her family all the best."
Adele also praised Bey during her acceptance speech, saying that she couldn't possibly accept the album of the year award.
"My artist of my life is Beyonce and this album, for me, the 'Lemonade' album, was just so monumental," she said.
The British star elaborated on her remarks with reporters backstage after the show.
"I felt like it was her time to win," she said. "What does she have to do to win album of the year?"
