PETALING JAYA, Aug 2 — Just days after the release of her Renaissance album, songstress Beyonce is set to modify the lyrics of one of its songs.
Fans and disability advocates were outraged by a line in the song Heated, which includes the word “sp*z”.
“Disabled people’s experiences are not fodder for song lyrics,” said UK-based disability charity Scope.
Here we are again.
Not long after ableist language from Lizzo, Beyoncé’s new album features an ableist slur not once, but twice.
Disabled people’s experiences are not fodder for song lyrics. This must stop.https://t.co/UJXrJxdtXf
Advertisement— Scope (@scope) August 1, 2022
Following the backlash from fans, Beyonce’s team told Variety yesterday that the lyric will be removed.
“The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced,” said the team in a statement.
The word is based on the medical term “spastic”, which refers to abnormalities in muscle tone and stiffness that can interfere with movement, and was historically used to describe a form of cerebral palsy.
Since then however, the word has evolved to be a derogatory slur against people with disabilities.
In June, singer Lizzo faced similar criticism for using the word in her song Grrrls ― she too subsequently announced a revision to her lyrics.
“This is the result of me listening and taking action,” said Lizzo then in a statement posted to Instagram.