Lizzo just became a great example of an artist taking accountability for their mistakes.
The singer, rapper and flutist listened to backlash after using an ableist term in her song “GRRRLS” and released a new version with changed lyrics.
The song was originally released on Friday, June 10, 2022, and very quickly debate began surrounding the use of the word “spaz” in the opening verse.
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Over the weekend, many fans took to social media to voice their disappointment with the inclusion of the word in the song’s lyrics.
One of the most noted tweets about the issue comes from a woman named Hannah Diviney, a writer and disability advocate, who wrote in a tweet, “Hey @lizzo my disability Cerebral Palsy is literally classified as Spastic Diplegia (where spasticity refers to unending painful tightness in my legs) your new song makes me pretty angry + sad.”
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Lizzo heard the feedback and listened, quickly rerecording a new version of “GRRRLS” in which the ableist term is removed.
The singer also wrote a message in response to the whole situation to clarify her feelings on it. She wrote in part on Instagram, “Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language … As an influential artist I’m dedicated to being part of the change I’ve been waiting to see in the world. Xoxo, Lizzo.”
The song “GRRRLS” is the second single off of Lizzo’s new musical album Special, which is scheduled to release on July 15, 2022.
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Many fans responded positively to the news of the new lyrics, including Diviney, who noted Lizzo’s response in a tweet before using the focus to also highlight disabled BIPOC voices, mentioning people like journalist, author, and actress Keah Brown and author, activist, and the founder of the Disability Visibility Project, Alice Wong.
Next, find out all about Lizzo’s boyfriend (and whether he’s on the Minnesota Vikings)!
