Beyoncé Will Remove Same Ableist Slur From Renaissance That Lizzo Removed From Her Album
When Lizzo released her single “Grrrls” earlier this summer, it was met with immediate backlash centered in the UK, where the word “spaz” — originally featured in a “Grrrls” lyric — has long been considered an ableist slur at the expense of people with cerebral palsy. She promptly removed the word from the song. Now Beyoncé is going through the same cycle.
“Heated,” a track from Bey’s new album Renaissance, uses the same word and has faced similar criticism. As Insider reports, a representative for Beyoncé confirms that the lyric will be removed from “Heated.” The rep writes, “The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced.”