Skunk Anansie‘s Skin has said that she was “irritated” after Beyonce reportedly claimed that she was the first black woman to headline Glastonbury.

The London rockers made history when they headlined Glastonbury in 1999, with Skin becoming the first black woman to take top billing at the legendary festival.

In an new interview with The Guardian, she admits that she felt “irritated” after Beyonce reportedly took credit for the accolade when she headlined the festival back in 2011.


The admission came as she discussed how Stormzy mistakenly claimed to be the first Black British artist to headline Glastonbury earlier this year.

“If I’m really honest,” she says, “I was way more irritated when Beyoncé said she was the first black woman. I really like Stormzy and I think he does a lot of good. I would never tear that guy down and I would never start a beef and take that moment away from him. But I had to stick up for myself.”

She also praised Stormzy’s response to the error and explained how he had personally sent her a message.

“The guy has so much class. He DM’d me personally and it was a lovely message,” she said. “We had a little conversation. We’re all proud of the fact he’s a black man, doing the black man things.”

Skin previously described Stormzy’s set as a “wonderful moment for black culture”.

Advertisement She said: “It’s one of those things – Beyoncé said she was the first black female and I didn’t really say anything then. I love Stormzy, it’s all come from a place of love, but I did feel like I had to point out that we did it.” She added that there was actually an argument for another British black artist to be regarded the first to headline Glastonbury. “At the end of the day – and I don’t want to offend any Keith Flint fans out there – but you could argue Maxim was a frontman of The Prodigy. And they beat us to it in 1997!”