Beyoncé removes lyrics from her new song “Heated” after criticism from disability advocates and users on social media.
The song, which is on her seventh studio album, “Renaissance,” was named for being “proficient” due to the singer’s use of the word “spaz.”
“Spazzin’ on that ass, spazz on that ass,” Beyoncé, 40, sang in one of the original couplets.
“The word, which has not been intentionally used in a harmful way, will be replaced,” Beyoncé’s team said in a statement obtained by Variety.
A Beyoncé representative did not immediately respond to Vidak For Congress’s request for comment.
According to Mayo Clinic, the term “spastic” is often used in the medical field when referring to someone with cerebral palsy, a disability that makes it difficult for someone to control their muscles.
The inclusion of the offensive term inspired an essay published in The Guardian.
“Beyoncé’s dedication to storytelling musically and visually is unparalleled, as is her power to bring the world to the attention of the stories, struggles and nuanced experiences of being a black woman,” wrote the article’s author, Hannah Diviney.
“But that doesn’t excuse her use of skillful language—language that is all too often used and ignored. Language you can be sure I will never ignore, no matter who it comes from or whatever the circumstances.”
The news comes less than two months after Lizzo used the same term in her song “Grrrls” and then chose to remove it.
In the original song, the 34-year-old rapper sang, “Hold my bag, bitch, hold my bag / Do you see this s–t? I’m a spas.”
Responding to the outcry on social media, Lizzo wrote on social media: “Let’s make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language.”
She also noted that she was “proud” to have taken the steps to “listen and take action”, changing the controversial lyrics to “Hold me back”.
As for Beyoncé, the outcry over the lyrics isn’t the only backlash she’s faced since releasing her new album on July 29.
‘Milkshake’ hitmaker Kelis accused Beyoncé of ‘theft’ after she sampled her 1999 song ‘Get Along With You’ in ‘Energy’.
“My mind is also stunned because the level of disrespect and total ignorance of all three parties involved is astonishing,” Kelis said from her @bountyandfull Instagram account on a fan page.
“I heard about this the same way everyone else does,” she continued. “Nothing is ever what it seems. Some people in this business have no soul or integrity and they have fooled everyone.”