Beyonce to re-write offensive Renaissance lyric after social media backlash

Singer Beyonce’s seventh studio album, Renaissance was released on July 29. But after the premiere, one line in the song Heated offended many listeners on social media. Now, new reports claim that Beyonce will re-write the lyrics of the song. Also Read: Beyoncé to finally release new album and Twitter can’t keep calm. See reactions

According to Variety, during a lyric where Beyonce sings, “Spazzin’ on that a–, spazz on that a–,” the term “spaz” appears in the song. Spasticity is a term used in medicine to describe a condition that makes it challenging for patients to control their muscles, particularly in their arms and legs. The lyric will be removed, the singer’s camp confirmed to Variety.

“The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced,” a statement from Beyonce’s team reads. The lyric was criticized as ableist and offensive on social media, and it even inspired an essay published in 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.”

Recently, singer Lizzo also used the same term in her song Grrrls from her Special album. She later re-wrote her songs after getting criticised on social media. “It has been brought to my attention that there is a harmful word in my new song Grrrls. Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language,” she wrote. “As a fat black woman in America, I have had many hurtful words used against me so I understand the power words can have (whether intentionally, or in my case, unintentionally.)”

Lizzo said she was proud to release a new version of the song. “This is the result of me listening and taking action,” she wrote. “As an influential artist I’m dedicated to being part of the change I’ve been waiting to see in the world.”

(With inputs from ANI)