Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Beyoncé Says She'll Take Ableist Lyric Out Of New 'Renaissance' Album After Activists Speak Out

Beyoncé Says She'll Take Ableist Lyric Out Of New 'Renaissance' Album After Activists Speak Out
Mason Poole/A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images

If you were anywhere near a phone or computer over the weekend, you know singer Beyoncé has a new album out, Renaissance, which immediately broke the internet as Bey's rabid fans had the time of their lives bumping her new tunes.

But not everybody has been feeling the love, particularly disability advocates, who called out the singer for a lyric in one of her new tracks they say uses an ableist term for certain disabled people.


Beyoncé has taken the criticism seriously, announcing she will re-release the track with different lyrics that do not include the offending word.

See her statement below.

The lyric occurs in the new track "Heated" and includes the word "spaz."

While not widely recognized in the United States, the slur derives from the word "spastic." It is a slur used widely and derogatorily in other English speaking countries for those with disabling conditions that effect muscle movement and motor skills, such as cerebral palsy.

The term is particularly offensive in the United Kingdom, where it has a long tradition as a derogatory term and playground taunt, similar to the "r-word" ableist slur in the United States.

In a statement released by her representatives, Beyoncé confirmed she will be changing the lyric.

The statement read in part:

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

The flap comes after fellow musician Lizzo faced a similar controversy over use of the word in her song “Grrrls" last month, resulting in a similar re-release of the song with rewritten lyrics omitting the word.

UK disability advocacy organization Scope referenced the incident with Lizzo's "Grrrls" in a tweet that leveled pointed criticism at Beyoncé for releasing a song using the word just a month later.

The tweet read:

"Here we are again."
"Not long after ableist language from Lizzo, Beyoncé’s new album features an ableist slur not once, but twice."
"Disabled people’s experiences are not fodder for song lyrics. This must stop."

On Twitter, many applauded Beyoncé for the change.




But fans felt Beyoncé did nothing wrong and the push to change the song was inappropriate.


Beyoncé's team have not yet announced when the new version of "Heated" will be available.

More from Trending

Kid Rock
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Kid Rock Dragged After Donning A Truly Over-The-Top Outfit For His White House Visit

Singer Kid Rock was slammed for wearing a loud patriotic costume inside the Oval Office as Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday against ticket scalping.

The rocker's outfit consisted of a red, white, and blue jacket emblazoned with two eagles facing each other above the American flag with the number 250, a nod to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, and white stars on his sleeves.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Tim Sheehy
CNN

GOP Senator Gets Blunt Reality Check After Comparing Trump Tariff 'Pain' To Home Renovation

Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy was criticized after he tried to compare the "short-term pain" of President Donald Trump's tariffs to home renovation, a claim so ridiculous that CNN's Kaitlan Collins quickly pushed back on the analogy.

Trump has repeatedly referred to April 2 as “Liberation Day,” pledging to impose tariffs—taxes on imports—to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods. He has framed these tariffs as “reciprocal,” aiming to match the duties other nations place on American exports.

Keep ReadingShow less
Susan Crawford; Elon Musk
Scott Olson/Getty Images (left and right)

Liberal Wisconsin Judge Calls Out Elon Musk In Victory Speech—And It's Everything

Liberal judge Susan Crawford called out billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, basking in successfully beating her Republican opponent Brad Schimel and ensuring that the nonpartisan court’s narrow 4-3 liberal majority remains intact despite Musk's efforts to sway the race.

Musk fueled the high-stakes race, having poured more than $20 million into supporting Schimel, according to state campaign records. That includes $3 million to the state Republican Party—$2 million of which was donated just last week. Due to state election laws, large contributions must be funneled through political parties before reaching candidates.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Describe The Worst 'Bonus' They've Ever Gotten At Work

Most of us have worked at one problematic workplace, with reasons ranging from toxic coworkers to terrible bosses to unlivable pay. Sometimes, it feels like a joke that the employees are even being paid at all!

But the biggest joke of all might be the end-of-year bonus, or lack thereof. They're at times so laughable, they take the cake for horrible work conditions, or are quite literally, a slice of cake.

Keep ReadingShow less