I don't think he would get the reaction he is getting, no, honestly I don't. Not if it was not associated with Beyoncé. I am sure it would be positive within his fan base but on broad terms, no.... So I disagree with you on that.

He does have a substantial catalog but he hasn't had a hit for quite some time. This song was hyped as a Beyoncé song he covered, right from the beginning, strategy or not, it was a way to get him out there... And like I said nothing wrong with that, but I would have loved it, if he got a hit for something he had written...