'Time to get in formation!' J.C. Penney defends Beyonce using her own lyrics after critics snidely suggest that her 'awkward' pregnancy photo was taken at the retailer's portrait studio

  • The 35-year-old singer announced on Instagram Wednesday that she and her husband Jay Z are expecting twins
  • Beyonce posted a lingerie-clad photo of herself surrounded by flowers while holding her baby bump to reveal the news 
  • Twitter users joked that she had gotten the photo taken at a J.C. Penney portrait studio; however, her magical shoot was photographed by the artist Awol Erizku
  • J.C. Penney responded to Beyonce's haters with her lyrics and song titles 

Beyonce's pregnancy announcement may have shattered Instagram records and scored millions of likes, but it was J.C. Penney department store that proved it always has Queen Bey's back.

After the 35-year-old singer took to her Instagram page on Wednesday to reveal that she and her husband Jay Z are expecting twins, some Twitter users snidely suggested that the ethereal image of Beyonce holding her baby bump was taken at a J.C. Penney portrait studio.

However, the department store refused to allow anyone to throw shade at its photo studio — or Beyonce — and it quickly came to the expecting mom's defense using lyrics from her own songs.

'Love and happiness': Beyonce announced on Instagram Wednesday that she and her husband Jay Z are expecting twins

Take that: When a Twitter user named Michelle said it looked like the singer's 'awkward' photo was taken at a J.C. Penney portrait studio, the department store clapped back 

Los Angeles-based artist, Awol Erizku, was the photographer behind Beyonce's magical pregnancy shoot, and the photo shared on Instagram sees her kneeling in front of a wall of flowers. 

The mother, whose daughter Blue Ivy is five years old, is donning a maroon bra, light blue silk underwear, and sheer veil over her head.  

Although it is probably unlikely that Erizku got his start at the retailer's portrait studio, a Twitter user named Michelle had no problem taking aim at J.C. Penney and the artist's work. 

'Beyonce's awkward pregnancy announcement photo look like it was taken @ JCPenney,' she wrote in a since deleted tweet.

Haters: A woman named Hannah also joked that it looked like a department store photo 

'Oh, Bey-bay!' However, the joke might have been on Hannah, as the department store had yet another epic response

Support system: J.C. Penney used a fire emoji and the title of Beyonce's song Flawless to respond to Laura Tatem 

However, the company immediately clapped back and earned legions of fans when an employee responded using the Formation lyric: 'Ya'll haters corny...' 

When Sohail J. Akhavein tweeted, 'Runs to the nearest JC Penney photo studio & demands the pregnant with twins Beyoncé package,' the retailer simply responded with the word 'Slay'. 

And the jokes didn't stop there. 

'Bey looks like she just got her photos taken at the J.C. Penny's portrait studio,' a woman named Hannah joked, and she also received a stellar response.

J.C. PENNEY DEFENDS BEYONCE 

'Oh, Bey-bay! #slay,' J.C. Penney tweeted to her. 

No matter what joke was being dished out, the department store had a clever answer in return.  

'Beyonce keeping it real-can afford world' best photographer but gets maternity pics done at JC Penny #Beyonce #jcpennyportraitstudio,' Laura Tatem wrote, and the retailer commented: 'Flawless.'

Comedian Chico Bean went on to joke that the store's executives were going to have Beyonce's now-famous backdrop 'in every store in America by noon' the next day, and instead of confirming or denying the claim, J.C, Penney tweeted that it was 'time to get in formation'.

Recommended: Serena McMahon tweeted that everyone should be following the company's hilarious tweets

Big fans: Another woman named Ashley also applauded the retailer for the 'clapback for Bey'

Round of applause: A Twitter user named Adriana fittingly used a meme of Beyonce to show her approval for J.C. Penney's tweets 

Beyonce's image, which has gotten more than 8.7 million, took only 11 hours to surpass Selena Gomez's 2016 image of herself with a bottle of Coke, which was the previous most liked photo with more than 6.3 million. 

However, there were plenty of people were just as excited about J.C. Penney's hilarious tweets. 

'Highly recommend looking at @jcpenney's hilarious Twitter feed right now #Beyonce,' Serena McMahon tweeted. 

As for the woman who deleted her tweet over the unwanted attention, J.C. Penney urged her to come back, writing: 'Hey! DM us, we want to show you some extra [love].'

Other images from Beyonce's epic maternity shoot see Blue Ivy kissing her belly, her underwater, and even a recreation of Botticelli's painting The Birth of Venus.

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