Beyonce Vows to Replace Offensive ‘Ableist’ Slur From ‘Renaissance’ Track after Facing Severe Backlash but Does Not Apologize

Beyonce has agreed to remove the “ableist” slur from her new “Renaissance” track “Heated” after facing backlash from fans on social and disability equality charity Scope. The song “Heated” from Beyonce’s seventh studio album Renaissance, which was released on Friday uses a derogatory phrase that is often used to disparage people with spastic cerebral palsy.

Beyonce came in the line of fire moments after her fans heard the song that contains the term “sp–z”. The singer has now vowed to drop the word and rerecord the song after talking to the record label. However, her announcement couldn’t pacify her fans as she didn’t apologize like Lizzo who said “sorry” after using the same word on her song “Grrrls” a few weeks back.

In the Line of Fire

Beyonce, 40, a global role model – had the lyrics: “Sp–zin’ on that ass, sp–z on that ass/ Fan me quick, girl, I need my glass.” in the song, which she collaborated on with Drake. However, it hasn’t gone down well with activists and her fans.

“So @Beyonce used the word ‘s–z’ in her new song Heated. Feels like a slap in the face to me, the disabled community…” penned one Twitter user in a now-viral tweet.

In the UK, “sp–z,” which is derived from the word “spastic,” is viewed as a derogatory term and is used as a slur against people with cerebral palsy.

However, in the US, the phrase is frequently used in a casual manner to imply that someone is about to let loose wildly or has successfully accomplished a significant task.

The controversy started the day the song “Heated” was released and Beyonce realized that she has messed up things, although it may have been unintentionally.

And she has also agreed to replace it. Beyonce’s publicist told the BBC the word, which can have different connotations in the US, was “not used intentionally in a harmful way”.

It “will be replaced in the lyrics”, they added, without giving a timescale. However, Beyonce failed to include an apology.

Insensitive Decision

Beyonce may have done it unintentionally but her fans are in no mood to forgive her although she has agreed to replace the lyrics. This may be because she failed to apologize for the goof-up.

Only a few weeks earlier, US pop sensation Lizzo had issued an apology for using the same phrase in her song “Grrrls”. Within a few days, she also released a revised version of the song without the offensive line.

Fans believe there is no excuse for ignorance when it comes to using the word.

Warren Kirwan, Media Manager at disability equality charity Scope, said ahead of the statement from Beyonce: “It’s appalling that one of the world’s biggest stars has chosen to include this deeply offensive term. Just weeks ago, Lizzo received a huge backlash from fans who felt hurt and let down after she used the same abhorrent language.”

“Thankfully she did the right thing and re-recorded the song. It’s hard to believe that could have gone unnoticed by Beyoncé’s team. Words matter because they reinforce the negative attitudes disabled people face every day, and which impact on every aspect of disabled people’s lives,” she added.

However, Kirwan wasn’t as harsh as others on social media. “Beyoncé has long been a champion of inclusivity and equality, so we’d urge her to remove this offensive lyric,” she said.

In June, pop songstress Lizzo, 34, apologized to her fans immediately after realizing that she made a mistake by using the same word in her song.

“It’s been brought to my attention that there are [sic] is a harmful word in my song ‘GRRRLS,'” the “Truth Hurts” Lizzo wrote on Twitter.

“Let me make one thing clear: 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 understand the power words can have (whether intentionally or in my case, unintentionally.)

“I’m proud to say there’s a new version of girls with a lyric change. This is the result of me listening and taking action,” she continued. “As an influential artist I’m dedicated to being part of the challenge change I’ve been waiting to see in the world.”

Fans are still waiting for an official apology from Beyonce.