Beyoncé to remove ableist slur from Renaissance track after criticism
Singer’s representative said term was ‘not used intentionally in a harmful way’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Beyoncé has removed an ableist slur from her song “Heated” following backlash from fans.
Last week, the singer released her latest album, Renaissance.
While the album was well received, the singer was met with criticism for the use of an offensive term as an outro to the track.
On the track, the lyrics read: “Sp***in’ on that ass, sp** on that ass.”
The term in question, derived from the word “spastic”, is considered more offensive in the UK than in the US, where it is sometimes used as a synonym for “freaking out”.
However, fans from around the world criticised her use of the term, pointing out that in June, Lizzo removed the word from her song “Grrrls” and apologised for using the “harmful” slur.
On Monday (1 August), Beyoncé confirmed that the word would be removed from the album.
In a statement provided to The Independent, her representatives said that the slur was “not used intentionally in a harmful way” but would be replaced.
The Independent has contacted Beyoncé’s representatives for further comment.
You can read The Independent’s review of Renaissance here.