Lizzo, a Grammy-winning singer and rapper seen by many fans as a champion of inclusivity, changed the lyrics of a new song within days of its release after it was criticized for containing a word deemed derogatory to people. with a handicap.
In the original version of the song “Grrrls” released Friday, Lizzo used the word “spaz” to indicate that she was going to lose control. The word is based on spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy, a condition that causes motor disturbances in the legs or arms.
Disability fans and advocates called on Lizzo to change what they called an insulting slur, a word considered particularly harmful in some countries where it has historically been used as a schoolhouse mockery.
By Monday, the major music streaming services had replaced the original version of the song with one that replaces the line with “Hold me back.” In a statement posted to Instagram on Monday, Lizzo said she understood the effects of harmful language, whether intentional or unintentional, because “As a fat black woman in America, many hurtful words have been used against me.”
“Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language,” she said, adding later: “This is the result of me listening and taking action.”
For Lizzo, who enjoys a warm public personality and produces upbeat, feel-good music that promotes self-acceptance, the lyrics came across as particularly off-brand to fans. The criticism started almost immediately after the song, the latest single from her upcoming album, ‘Special’, was released Friday.
But the swift removal satisfied many of the fans and activists who had criticized her, believing it to be an example of someone listening to new information, learning and acting.
Hannah Diviney, a disability advocate in Australia and a self-proclaimed Lizzo fan, said in an interview that hearing the word in the original version “made me feel really uncomfortable.” For her, spasticity refers to an “infinite, constant, painful tightness in my legs and other parts of my body”, which makes her life “very difficult and not something I can control”.
But she was “blown away” by Lizzo’s quick turnaround, she said. Rather than being defensive, the rapper took action when she heard the criticism, making her “a real ally because she’s willing to learn”.
“I’m very happy that Lizzo changing it has led to a lot of people learning that it’s a blemish,” Ms. Diviney said. “And while I would of course have preferred her not to have used it in the first place, I’m glad it turned out to be a teaching moment. That’s probably the best outcome.”
After one of her tweets Re-shared more than a thousand times, Ms. Diviney found that it may not be as clear to some Americans as it is to people in other countries why the word is considered competent, she said.
Warren Kirwan, a spokesperson for Scope, a group in Britain that campaigns for equality for people with disabilities, said the term has been a fairly common swear word for people with disabilities in the UK for 30 years. the organization changed its name from The Spastic Society to Scope to avoid association with the slur.
The different cultural contexts may help explain why Lizzo, an American, used the term, even if that’s not an excuse, he said. But Lizzo handled the situation well once she learned more about the word, he said.
“It was in her power to acknowledge that mistake and change it, and well done for doing it,” said Mr. kirwan.
Other musicians have made the same mistake. Kanye West was criticized for using the word in a 2015 song “FourFiveSeconds,” a collaboration with Paul McCartney and Rihanna. And in 2014, Weird Al Yankovic said that he “I’m deeply sorry‘ for including a related word in his song ‘Word Crimes,’ saying he wasn’t aware it was considered offensive.