Beyoncé's 'Whiteface' World Tour Advert Sparks Race Row

Beyoncé is at the centre of another race scandal after promotional images for her forthcoming Mrs Carter world tour surfaced online showing her looking lighter-skinned than usual.

The 31-year-old African-American Single Ladies singer has sparked controversy with the release of her advert for her string of concert dates.

She strikes a series of poses with bleached blonde hair, a long-sleeve white top and a sexy pair of hotpants.

It is not clear if her pale skin is a result of overdone studio lighting and excessive airbrushing or if she lightened her skin before the photoshoot.

One fan asked: "Why is she trying so hard to be white?"

Another wrote: "Is that X-Tina from the voice? Sure could have fooled me. Bey is turning white."

This is not the first time that the pop diva, who was born and raised in Texas by her African father and mixed-race mother, has been accused of cosmetically altering her complexion.

Rumours have been circulating for years that she has been bleaching her skin since the days of Destiny's Child to maintain the honey-toned complexion she is so famous for.

Critics claiming that the latest look of Queen B could undermine the confidence of darker-skinned black women and make them feel ashamed of their colour.

"I guess being African American with dark hair is not considered sexy/attractive. Don't know why someone would choose to use the hair colour of the same people who probably had slaves in her [family] tree. Very tacky," said one critic.

The Mrs Carter Tour kicks off in Belgrade on 15 April.