Key Takeaways
- Beyoncé gave new life to Kelly Rowland’s infamous “Excel text” in a playful Instagram post referencing the 2002 “Dilemma” video.
- Fans reacted with nostalgia and humor, celebrating the long-running meme and Destiny’s Child history.
- Rowland has previously addressed the viral moment, noting that no one on set pointed out the mistake.
Kelly Rowland will never live down her infamous “Dilemma” text message — and Beyoncé is making sure of it! Before going viral was a thing, Rowland solidified her spot in the Internet’s meme hall of fame with a single scene in the 2002 music video. At one point, the singer is shown texting, “Where you at? Holla when you get this.” The only issue is that she used Microsoft Excel. The spreadsheet blunder has been a running joke amongst fans ever since.
Queen Bey clearly enjoys keeping the joke alive and gets a kick out of trolling her sister over the mishap too. On Thursday (Nov. 27), Beyoncé uploaded a montage of photographs and clips of Rowland performing at different “The Boy Is Mine Tour” stops, their backstage shenanigans, a few fashion shots and more. Among the visuals was one showing the COWBOY CARTER superstar holding her phone with a recreation of her bestie’s infamous text gaffe.
Followers swarmed into formation in the comment section, having clocked the playful moment. One user responded, “The Excel texting joke lives on!” A second fan said, “That Excel sheet text message has had us baffled and in a chokehold for decades. Thank you for acknowledging on this day of thanks.” A third reaction states, “Writing a text in Excel like in Dilemma is my kinda carrying on.”
During a 2024 “Mythical Kitchen” interview, the Mea Culpa actress said she has received endless flak over the seconds-long dilemma. When asked if anyone tried to address the mix-up, Rowland lightheartedly quipped, “No. I’m actually mad at them that they didn’t because they made me look nuts.”
“Dilemma” helped launched Kelly Rowland’s solo career
Kelly Rowland was the first Destiny’s Child member to fly the coop when she launched her solo career in 2002. Her debut album, Simply Deep, also released that year, included the smash hit with Nelly. "Dilemma" topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 10 weeks and earned the singer her first Grammy post-girl group for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Her career has since spawned three additional LPs, several acting roles, hosting gigs and beyond.
More than two decades later, the “Excel text” still hits, and Beyoncé’s playful nod proves that some memes never die.