Contemporary artists, including Taylor Swift, have revisited previously recorded songs and altered lyrics with negative or offensive connotations, citing personal growth.īut Beyoncé and Lizzo’s recent revisions are notable because of the conversations they’ve sparked around the subject of ableism and the speed with which critics of the offending lyric were able to convey their views. Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti” was a risqué nightclub tune before it was sanitized for mass consumption. However, in the UK, the term is more immediately construed as a slur against the disabled community, particularly those with spastic cerebral palsy.Ĭhanging song lyrics is nothing new. It can describe being “in the zone” or “going all out” in African American Vernacular English – or being in a state of excitement that is either negative or positive, said Nsenga Burton, a cultural critic and professor at Emory University. The word, derived from “spastic,” has different cultural connotations – in the US, it’s mainly a colloquialism to describe losing control. It then appeared on “Heated,” a track on Beyoncé’s highly anticipated album, “ Renaissance,” which dropped last month. The term in question, “spaz,” first appeared on “Grrrls,” a single released by Lizzo in June. Lizzo took to Instagram to announce she had edited the lyric, noting, “I never want to promote derogatory language.” Beyoncé’s team issued a similar response within days of her album release, stating, “the word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced.” so many people will sing this song and integrate the word into their day to day language.Some of the stars behind summer’s hottest new music found themselves in hot water when listeners and disability advocates spoke out against a lyric viewed as an ableist slur.īacklash came quickly, and the artists were just as quick to respond. It doesn’t matter if lizzo knew the ableist connotations of the word sp*z, it is still problematic. i thought we as a society had stopped using the word “spaz” ? *sigh* ![]() Please remove ableist slurs from your music □ The history of this term is deeply upsetting, especially when you discover it was appropriated from who were then forced to change their original name as a result. ![]() As someone who’s written about the use of disability language, especially slang/slur words which have been used in schools, this is a huge step back.ĭear or spastic are horrible words. Oh VERY influential figure, using the word in her new song.Īn offensive and derogatory term. It offends the disability community that I am a part of Éabha Wall June 11, I love you but please remove the ableist slur “spaz” from your song. Bar is truly in hell, 2022 and still asking people not to use slurs at Lizzo's big age. New song pops up on my discover playlist, where she uses the word spaz in the first 25 seconds. Y’all, I’m not defending LIZZO I’m literally fucking disabled in multiple ways (autistic and chronically I’ll) I’ve been called spastic and spaz ALL MY LIFE!, hearing her use the slur hurt me BUT I just wanted to acknowledge it has another meaning in AAVE Hey please remove the word "spaz" from your new song because it's a slur and really offensive to the disabled community See more reactions about the lyrics to “Grrrls” below. ![]() “Hey please remove the word ‘spaz’ from your new song because it’s a slur and really offensive to the disabled community,” one wrote, signing off, “From a disappointed fan.”īillboard has reached out to Lizzo for comment.Īrriving on the heels of Top 10 hit “ About Damn Time” and its viral TikTok dance, “Grrrls” serves as the second single off Lizzo’s forthcoming studio album Special, which will be released July 15 via Nice Life Recording Company/Atlantic Records. Others even petitioned Lizzo directly to remove the word from the song altogether.
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