Keri Hilson Finally Sets the Record Straight on Alleged Beyoncé Feud 16 Years After Diss Lyrics

"I was super young, my career was put on the line about it, and I felt like I had no choice but to do it," Hilson tells PEOPLE

Keri Hilson is clearing the air on her infamous "Turnin' Me On" remix with lyrics believed to take aim at Beyoncé

"I never wanted to record it. I definitely never wanted it to come out," she tells PEOPLE

Hilson's new album, We Need to Talk, is out April 18

Almost two decades after a remix of Hilson's "Turnin' Me On," featuring Lil Wayne, surfaced online with lyrics speculated to target Beyoncé, the Grammy-nominated R&B artist, now 42, is clarifying the origins of the controversial verse.

During that period, Hilson was excelling in her career, with several successful hits such as "Turnin' Me On." As this song reached the top 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 2009, a remix appeared online containing lyrics that suggested another artist should "move it to the left," which appeared to be an allusion to Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable."

Fans quickly took sides, and the verse has followed Hilson ever since. Now, she's ready to clear the air. While she admits the lyrics "probably were" about Beyoncé, "I didn't write them," she tells PEOPLE. "I was forced to sing them."

The remix, produced by Polow da Don and Danja, was recorded shortly after Hilson, who was in her mid-20s at the time, completed a concert tour. As an experienced songwriter, she arrived at the studio prepared to compose a new verse for "Turnin' Me On." However, she recalls, "I get there, and one had been written for me already."

Hilson remembers a member of the creative team expressing a desire to "attract attention" with the remix. "Whether that attention was negative or positive seemed irrelevant, and I was pressured into participating in something I was never inclined to do," she explains. "I never wanted to record it. I definitely never wanted it to come out."

Check Out Keri's New Single "Bae"

The lyrics do not reflect her feelings towards Beyoncé. Hilson states, ""I've been a fan of hers for a very long time," says Hilson. "They're not my words, but I ate it, and I protected people, and I paid for it."

After the remix surfaced online, fans began pitting the two women against one another, with many claiming the diss caused Hilson's career to decline — despite her scoring several other hits afterward, including "Knock You Down" and "Pretty Girl Rock."

Until recently, Hilson chose to stay relatively quiet on the topic out of fear. "I probably could have cleaned it up, but I didn't want to make my career even more difficult," she admits. "I wanted it to go away."

Earlier this week, Hilson spoke about the "Turnin' Me On" remix on The Breakfast Club, which prompted songwriter Ester Dean to respond on Instagram, as fans have long speculated she wrote the lyrics.

"I submitted a lot of verses for that remix — one got picked, and it was co-written with Keri. Looking back, it was childish and didn't age well. I see how it hurt people, especially women, and I take full accountability," she said. [In a comment, Hilson claimed she only "re-wrote three lines" of the verse and not the lines taking shots at any of her peers.]

Dean added, "I've worked with and supported many women since, but that doesn't erase the moment. I'm sorry for my part in it. Growth is real, and so is this apology."

"I've been gone for so long. I felt like I want to give enough to satiate my fans," she says of the upcoming music. "It's also a parallel to my career — loving music, encountering drama and feeling redeemed finally. Finding reconciliation within and without, outside and inside."

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