Beyoncé has dropped her first solo album since 2016 last week and not everyone is happy with it.
Renaissance will have an amendment in one of its tracks. The Grammy winner will change a line in one of her songs because of the lyrics as called out by an advocate of disabilities. Many got excited about the release of the new album but one of the tracks titled “Heated” has the word “spaz” in it. Beyoncé could be heard singing: “Spazzin’ on that ass, spazz on that ass.”
Those in the medical field are familiar with the word “spastic.” It actually refers to a disability wherein the patient has difficulty in controlling his or her muscles, in particular their arms and legs.
Last weekend, Hannah Diviney wrote an opinion piece which was published by The Guardian. The author said, “Beyoncé’s commitment to storytelling musically and visually is unparalleled, as is her power to have the world paying attention to the narratives, struggles and nuanced lived experience of being a Black woman. But that doesn’t excuse her use of ableist language.”
This wasn’t the first time that Diviney has called out an artist. Six weeks ago, she also called out Lizzo on Twitter for using the word “spaz” in her new song, “GRRRLS.” The singer took note of it and later announced on Instagram that she’ll be changing the lyrics.
She wrote, “Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language. I’m proud to say there’s a new version of ‘GRRRLS’ with a lyric change. This is the result of me listening and taking action.”
Lizzo and Beyoncé’s albums faced controversies but despite all these, their music remains successful. For instance, Beyoncé’s Renaissance became the most-streamed album by a female artist in 2022 so far on Spotify. A few days ahead of its official release, they discovered that the album was leaked online.
In a message, the singer said,
Despite the controversy, both Lizzo and Beyoncé’s albums continue to be success stories.
In fact, Beyoncé’s Renaissance album became Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day by a female artist in 2022 so far, despite being leaked online a few days prior to release.
She shared on Instagram on July 29, “So, the album leaked and you all actually waited until the proper release time to enjoy it all together. I’ve never seen anything like it. I can’t thank y’all enough for your love and protection. I appreciate you for calling out anyone that was trying to sneak into the club early. It means the world to me.”
