Beyonce’s Billboard Performance May Not Be All That Original, After All

There's no question that Beyonce is at the forefront of female performers in the world, or that she's endlessly popular -- but is she original? Based on her recent performance at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, some people say no.

While Sasha Fierce delivered a mind-blowing show at the awards show on Sunday, her dance-routine-against-an-interactive-screen idea seems to have been less than innovative. In the video below, Bey's performance is matched up to a 2010 Sanremo stage show by Italian singer Lorella Cuccarini, and the two are oddly similar when you see them side by side.

Coincidence? Probably not, being that both Beyonce and Ms. Cuccarini were molded by the same production company and the art was done by the same designer. Tribe Inc Design gave both singers the concept -- though Lorella's was done a year earlier than B's -- and the graphics, which are almost identical at many points, were done by Kenzo Digital.

But while many are quick to accuse that Beyonce has been caught red-handed stealing the Italian-famed performer's idea, we tend to think that maybe B was showing her respect with a homage to the original. Rather than send the 'Single Ladies' hitmaker to the chopping block, let's tip our hats to the extravagant art by those two companies, because it's one heck of a performance no matter how you spin it.

Watch Beyonce's 2011 Billboard Awards Performance vs. Lorella Cuccarini's 2010 Performance