Beyoncé has removed a lyric from her new album Renaissance after it was called out for being “ableist.”
Twitter was up in arms over the song “Heated” in which Beyoncé sings: “Spazzin’ on that ass, spazz on that ass.” The word “spastic” is often used in the medical field to describe a disability that makes it challenging for people to control their muscles, especially in their arms and legs.
As confirmed by Variety, the lyric will now be removed from all digital versions of the album. “The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced,” Beyoncé’s team said in a statement.
Renaissance was released on Friday (July 29) and “Heat” was quickly labeled “ableist” and “offensive” by a number of people on social media.
It also inspired an essay published by The Guardian that read in part: “Beyoncé’s commitment to storytelling musically and visually is unparalleled, as is her power to have the world paying attention to the narratives, struggles and nuanced lived experience of being a Black woman… But that doesn’t excuse her use of ableist language.”
Lizzo faced similar backlash last month for using the exact same word in her song “Grrls.” As one person wrote, “Hey @lizzo my disability Cerebral Palsy is literally classified as Spastic Diplegia (where spasticity refers to unending painful tightness in my legs) your new song makes me pretty angry + sad. ‘Spaz’ doesn’t mean freaked out or crazy. It’s an ableist slur. It’s 2022. Do better.”
Lizzo accepted culpability for offending anyone with a Twitter post that read, “It’s been brought to my attention that there is a harmful word in my new song ‘GRRRLS.’ Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language.
Beyoncé Shouts Out JAY-Z In 'Renaissance' Statement Before Release
She continued: As a fat Black woman in America, I’ve had many hurtful words used against me so I overstand the power words can have (whether intentionally or in my case unintentionally).
“I’m proud to say there’s a new version of ‘GRRRLS’ with a lyric change. This is the result of me listening and taking action. As an influential artist I’m dedicated to being a part of the change I’ve been waiting to see in the world. Xoxo, Lizzo.”
Despite the controversy, Renaissance is expected to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with over 315,000 total album-equivalent units sold in its opening week.
I hate what the world has become.
C’mon man…
This generation is gay as fuck.
on God
Fuck this gay earth
I GO RUH RUH LIKE I HAD CEREBRAL PALSY
Hahaha
Wack
Well we can swear here.
Worlds gone soft
How did the human species even get to so soft? All these sensitive ass woke people would have been the first people to starve to death 100 years ago.
No but she can stand there jacking off in videos and promoting that hoe culture no problemo ay?
What a generation of pussies. Why do we let the few vocal bitches on social media dictate what we can and can’t do? Just mute them and move along. Let them seethe at their keyboards knowing there’s nothing they can do. That brings me pleasure.
“Spaz” is street term, that basically means someone is extremely angry, or having an extreme reaction! That doesn’t have anything to do with this! Example: “She had me spazzed out”. No offense but, these people are starving for attention! Why on earth would anyone back down from this B.S.
Black folks need to stop listening to these ppl. They just like finger-wagging and “taming the dumb dark savage” like the old days.
We don’t need them. They’ve tried to cancel Lizzo, Chappelle, Travis, and Beyonce. The more we bow to these fools, the more they’ll keep trying to control us. They already try to talk, act, and look like us…Now they want to change US? Foh.
It’s gonna get to the point that all these woke people are gonna be controlling everything that comes out our mouth and no one is allowed to have a opinion unless it’s fits their narrative