Beyonce to remove offensive ‘Renaissance’ lyrics after Ableist backlash

Los Angeles, Aug. 2 (IANS): Pop singer Beyonce’s seventh studio album ‘Renaissance’ debuted last month to universal acclaim, but one lyric in the song ‘Heated’ left many listeners angry on social media.

The song includes the word “spaz” during a verse in which Beyonce sings: “Spazzin’ on that a**, spazz on that a**.”

In the medical field, “spastic” refers to a disability that makes it difficult for people to control their muscles, especially in their arms and legs.

The singer’s team confirmed to Variety that the lyric will be removed.

“The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced,” a statement from Beyonce’s team reads.

The lyric was criticised as ableist and offensive on social media, and it even inspired an essay published on The Guardian in which writer Hannah Diviney wrote, “Beyonce’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.”

According to ‘Variety’, Beyonce’s decision to remove the ableist lyric follows Lizzo’s decision to do the same.

Lizzo used the same term in her song “Grrrls” off her latest album, ‘Special’. In the original track, Lizzo sang: “Hold my bag, b***h, hold my bag/ Do you see this s**t? I’m a spaz.”

The new version of the song finds Lizzo singing “Hold me back.”