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Beyoncé Says She'll Take Ableist Lyric Out Of New 'Renaissance' Album After Activists Speak Out
If you were anywhere near a phone or computer over the weekend, you know singer Beyoncé has a new album out, Renaissance, which immediately broke the internet as Bey's rabid fans had the time of their lives bumping her new tunes.
But not everybody has been feeling the love, particularly disability advocates, who called out the singer for a lyric in one of her new tracks they say uses an ableist term for certain disabled people.
Beyoncé has taken the criticism seriously, announcing she will re-release the track with different lyrics that do not include the offending word.
See her statement below.
\u201cA representative for Beyonc\u00e9 has confirmed she will remove an ableist lyric from the track "Heated" on her new album #RENAISSANCE. https://t.co/UgtEDqRkZI\u201d— Entertainment Insider (@Entertainment Insider) 1659357896
The lyric occurs in the new track "Heated" and includes the word "spaz."
While not widely recognized in the United States, the slur derives from the word "spastic." It is a slur used widely and derogatorily in other English speaking countries for those with disabling conditions that effect muscle movement and motor skills, such as cerebral palsy.
The term is particularly offensive in the United Kingdom, where it has a long tradition as a derogatory term and playground taunt, similar to the "r-word" ableist slur in the United States.
In a statement released by her representatives, Beyoncé confirmed she will be changing the lyric.
The statement read in part:
"The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced."
The flap comes after fellow musician Lizzo faced a similar controversy over use of the word in her song “Grrrls" last month, resulting in a similar re-release of the song with rewritten lyrics omitting the word.
UK disability advocacy organization Scope referenced the incident with Lizzo's "Grrrls" in a tweet that leveled pointed criticism at Beyoncé for releasing a song using the word just a month later.
\u201cHere we are again.\n\nNot long after ableist language from Lizzo, Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s new album features an ableist slur not once, but twice.\n\nDisabled people\u2019s experiences are not fodder for song lyrics. This must stop.\nhttps://t.co/UJXrJxdtXf\u201d— Scope (@Scope) 1659353109
The tweet read:
"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."
On Twitter, many applauded Beyoncé for the change.
\u201cWaking up this morning to hear @Beyonce has heard and recognised the disabled community's call to remove ableist language from her music is an incredible feeling. Where she leads, the music industry follows. Big thank you to Bey + her team. I'm so grateful \u2764\ufe0f\u201d— Hannah Diviney (@Hannah Diviney) 1659397685
\u201c@nytimes I\u2019m not a Beyonce FANATIC, but I appreciate her making this adjustment. Many folks aren\u2019t aware that SOME OF the words we say daily are derogatory. As we learn, we (hopefully) shift course.\u201d— The New York Times (@The New York Times) 1659372905
\u201cIt\u2019s commendable for Beyonce (and Lizzo) to apologize for and change their song lyrics. They absolutely should. But both incidents are yet more signs of how deeply entrenched systemic ableism is in our society. Abled people think nothing of ableist language, at our expense.\u201d— Steven Aquino (he/him) (@Steven Aquino (he/him)) 1659384218
\u201cThe way Lizzo and Beyonce responded to becoming aware of inadvertent ableist harm in their lyrics needs to be shouted from the rooftops.\n\nMistakes happen, the best people acknowledge others\u2019 experiences of harm and correct themselves going forward, no-one can ask for more.\u201d— Becca Jiggens (@Becca Jiggens) 1659373778
But fans felt Beyoncé did nothing wrong and the push to change the song was inappropriate.
\u201cThe white disabled community needs to confront its racism. \n\nAs a Black disabled woman, I see how Lizzo, Beyonce, and Black women artists are targeted and accused of ableism. The same criticism is not reserved for white artists who use ableist language. \n\nhttps://t.co/edhuxiLu3T\u201d— Ola Ojewumi (@Ola Ojewumi) 1659370288
\u201c@EntInsider This is why AAVE needs to be classified as a separate language. The word means something completely different in other countries/cultures. Much like the word "holiday". She nor Lizzo should not have changed the lyrics because it's not the same word/meaning.\u201d— Entertainment Insider (@Entertainment Insider) 1659357896
\u201c@dicklevitating Words have many different meanings and that\u2019s why context is important. It\u2019s abundantly clear that Beyonc\u00e9 nor Lizzo used the word to be ableist so I don\u2019t understand the issue here.\u201d— bill (@bill) 1659309808
Beyoncé's team have not yet announced when the new version of "Heated" will be available.