‘It Was So Worth All the Grind’: Beyoncé Thanks Fans for Success of Renaissance Film Amid Israel Criticism

Taylor Swift, Bey’s oft-compared musical rival, recently spoke about her admiration for the “Cozy” singer.

As Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” film continues to see success on the silver screen, the Queen Bey took time to show her gratitude towards her fans and supporters.

In a lengthy post to Instagram on Thursday, the “Heated” singer thanked the creative team behind the film. She acknowledged their hard work and her own contributions, describing it as “one of the hardest things” she’d ever done.

“I am so deeply thankful to AMC and every team member who worked so hard on this film. I just can’t thank all of you enough for your support. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done because of the short turn around time,” she captioned in her post. “I practically slept in the edit, color, and mix sessions. The race against time continued in order to get this film out so quickly. But it was so worth all the grind. I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from my Hive.”

She continued:

And WOW! I am so touched and encouraged by the incredible reviews!!! I love seeing everyone all dressed up in their most opulent lewks in the theaters. The mute challenges still happening, even in the theater!! Y’all are cracking me up. Please keep that energy going. I can’t wait to see what else yall do 🙂

I also love seeing the positive take aways from people who were not my fans or didn’t yet know my story. The people who had no interest in seeing my shows who have now gained a deeper understanding and respect for all it takes to be a RENAISSANCE woman. I’m very proud that we launched the film on World AIDS Day in memory of my Uncle Johnny. I pray I continue to make something that lifts all of y’all up the way you continue to lift me up.

“While I’m often critical and feel my art is never finished, the pendulum swings. I feel gratitude. We did it. We have the #1 movie in the country! And a 100 on Rotten Tomatoes. And it’s because of you and your support! I humbly thank you,” she concluded.

As positive as this is, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Bey’s post comes amid online criticism from folks who’ve taken issue with the fact that the “Renaissance” film is being shown in Israel during the conflict between Israel and Gaza. This has resulted in many calling for a boycott of “Renaissance,” stoked further by the fact that Bey has yet to publicly speak out against the violence in the region.

However, it’s been interesting to note that those asking for a boycott of the “Cuff It” singer’s film don’t seem to have the same energy for Taylor Swift’s tour film, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” despite the fact that it, too, is screening in Israel.

For her part, Swift recently praised Bey for her artistry, their friendship and how she feels about always being compared to her.

“She’s the most precious gem of a person—warm and open and funny. And she’s such a great disrupter of music-industry norms,” Swift said during her cover interview as TIME’s Person of the Year. “She taught every artist how to flip the table and challenge archaic business practices…There were so many stadium tours this summer, but the only ones that were compared were me and Beyoncé. Clearly it’s very lucrative for the media and stan culture to pit two women against each other—even when those two artists in question refuse to participate in that discussion.”