Beyoncé Removed an Ableist Slur From Her New Album

On Monday, August 1, Beyoncé announced that she would change the lyrics in her song, “Heated,” to eliminate a term that can be considered disrespectful to those who have disabilities.

#Beyonce is removing the word “sp*z” from #RENAISSANCE track “HEATED” after being called out for using the term which is deemed ableist, a rep for the singer confirms:

“The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced.”

🔗: https://t.co/H5jSmAWN1D pic.twitter.com/blfEscFH6C

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 1, 2022

Beyoncé just released her new album, Renaissance, in late July. As her first album since 2016, the new album has thrilled fans. People took to social media to congratulate her and praise her music. However, the conversation quickly shifted, though, when the lyrics “Sp*zzin’ on the a**, sp*z on the a**” from her song, “Heated,” caught people’s attention. The term “sp*z” quickly drew criticism on Twitter, as it has negative connotations for those with disabilities.

Though the word “sp*z” is frequently used to mean “freak out” or “crazy,” its root is considered to be harmful and disrespectful to those who have disabilities. The term comes from the word “spastic,” which refers to spastic cerebral palsy, a condition that impairs a person’s ability to regulate their muscles. Some fans argue that “sp*z” has its own meaning in African American English, yet it’s worth noting that in UK and Australia, it has a deep-rooted history as a slur and is severely offensive.

In response to criticisms on the Internet, on August 1, Beyoncé’s publicists told NPR, “the word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced.” 

However, this is not the first time the term “sp*z” generated discussions among people. In June, Lizzo has also been criticized for using this term. In her song “GRRRLS,” she also mistakenly used the word. Lizzo responded on her social media, delivering sincere apologies to people who felt harmed. She wrote, “I never want to promote derogatory language. As a fat black woman in America, I’ve had many hurtful words used against me so I overstand the power words can have.”

Both Beyoncé and Lizzo are extraordinary black artists who have presented a myriad of excellent works to us. As a part of the minorities, they understand the importance of diversity and respect. One user wrote on her Twitter, “Beyoncé has been inclusive her entire career.” Beyoncé is one of the pioneers in using disabled models in fashion advertisements. She even helped the first disabled, transgender, and black model, Aaron Philip, to get into the industry.

Fans took to Twitter to support Beyoncé and Lizzo’s decision to own their mistakes and make the lyric change.

Beyoncé and Lizzo both chose to listen to disabled people who said the word was harmful and removed it from their songs. They weren’t bullied into it. They made a choice to listen to disabled people and that’s not a bad thing

— RENAISSANCE (@naledimashishi) August 2, 2022

I think the real story here is how unlike many in Hollywood, Beyoncé and Lizzo are actually listening to their diverse fans and are quick to do better — unlike the Dave Chappelles of the world who double down on the B.S.

They did the right thing, that’s a good thing. Next case.

— Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) August 2, 2022

As a report by The Guardian suggested, though the world and the entertainment industry are becoming more inclusive, ableism is still severe. Hopefully, more celebrities will learn from Beyoncé and Lizzo, noticing the potential offense that disabled people might experience, and promoting inclusiveness.