Back in June, singer-songwriter and rapper Lizzo changed the lyrics to her song “Grrrls” following backlash over her use of an ableist slur. Now, Beyonce is facing similar backlash over the use of the same slur.
According to Consequence, Beyonce used the slur during the outro of “Heated”, the 11th track from her new album Renaissance. The lyrics are as follows: “Yadda, yadda, yadda, bom, bom, ka, ka / Sp*zzin’ on that ass, sp*z on that ass.” Sp*z is a derogatory term used against disabled people, especially those living with Cerebral Palsy. A disability advocate by the name of Hannah Diviney called on both Beyonce and Lizzo to change their lyrics following their use of the slur.
In an essay recently published in The Guardian, Diviney voiced her dismay with the singer’s use of the slur, calling on allies to recognize ableist language and the fact that it “gets used and ignored all too often.”
“Feels like a slap in the face to me, the disabled community & the progress we tried to make with Lizzo. Guess I’ll just keep telling the whole industry to ‘do better’ until ableist slurs disappear from music,” Diviney offered in a tweet on July 30.
Beyonce’s representatives wrote in a statement to Variety that “the word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced.” It is unclear when the lyrics will be updated and what will be replacing the slur.
Renaissance was just released on July 29 via Columbia Records and Parkwood Entertainment. In late June, Beyonce shared the album’s lead single “Break My Soul.” The record marks her seventh studio album following 2016’s Lemonade.
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