Beyoncé confirms she’s removing lyricism from ‘Renaissance’ after backlash

• Beyoncé confirms that she will change one of the lyrics of her song “Heated” from her new album “Renaissance”.
• The song received backlash after the same word was changed from Lizzo’s song a month earlier.
• A Beyoncé representative told Insider that the word was “not intentionally used in a malicious manner.”

Beyoncé confirmed that she will be removing the lyric from the song Her new album “The Renaissance”. After disability associations and activists called her “capable” and “offensive”.

Fans and activists have criticized the use of the word “Spaz” in the song “Hot” which was used as a derogatory name for people with disabilities, especially those with cerebral palsy. In African American English, a dialect of English created and used in black communities, the word means “madness” or “fighting,” leading to confusion about the negative use of the word.

In a statement to Insider, a representative for Grammy Award winning singer Confirmed the lyric will be changed.

“A word that was not intentionally used in a malicious manner will be replaced,” the statement said.

in June, Lizzo has issued an apology She reissued “Grrrls” with new lyrics after receiving backlash for including the same word in the song.

Some people wondered how the “Break My Soul” singer didn’t see the backlash towards Lizzo two months ago.

—FOLLOWYITTY (lizzo) June 13, 2022

Disability advocate Hannah Devine wrote in An opinion piece in the Guardian that Beyoncé’s status as a singer of cultural significance does not “justify her use of capable language”.

“I’m so tired. People with disabilities deserve better. I don’t want to have this conversation again,” she wrote in the article.

Warren Kirwan, media director for the UK disability charity Scope, told Insider that removing the word is important because it can reinforce negative attitudes towards people with disabilities.

A study of 4,015 adults with disabilities in England and Wales, conducted by Scope and Opinium Research earlier this year, found that nine in 10 people who experienced negative attitudes and behaviors said their experiences had a personal impact on them.

“It’s shocking that one of the biggest stars in the world chose to include such a deeply offensive term,” Kirwan told Insider.

“A few weeks ago, Lizzo received backlash from fans who were hurt and frustrated after she used the same hateful language. Luckily she did the right thing and re-recorded the song. It’s hard to believe that this wasn’t noticed by the Beyoncé team.”

Kirwan added, “The lyrics are important because they reinforce the negative attitudes disabled people face every day, which affects every aspect of people with disabilities’ lives. Beyoncé has always been an advocate for inclusivity and equality, so we urge her to take down this offensive lyrics.”

sensecharity August 1, 2022

Another UK disability charity, Sense, also tweeted that it was “disappointing” to see another artist use the word after the Lizzo incident.

“We hope that Beyoncé will follow Lizzo’s example and change course,” the organization said. “We need more education to improve awareness of disability.”