Following complaints from several members of the disability community that the song featured an ableist slur, Beyoncé has changed a line from a song on her new album, “Renaissance.”
The eleventh song, “Heated,” used the slur “spaz,” which is used to disparage people with disabilities. Lizzo faced criticism for using the word in her single “Grrrls.”
“The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced,” a representative for Beyoncé said in a statement Monday.
On the internet, many fans pointed out that the word originated from “spastic.”
What the new lyrics will be is unknown at this time.
Disability rights activist Hannah Diviney was inspired by the lyrics to write the following for The Guardian and the disability advocacy group Hireup: “Beyoncé’s dedication to musical and visual storytelling is unmatched, as is her ability to draw attention to the stories, struggles, and nuanced lived experience of being a Black woman.
However, that doesn’t justify her ableist terminology.”
