Lizzo has altered the lyrics to her latest single Grrrls following backlash over an “ableist slur”.
After the track was released last week, fans expressed disappointment that it contained the word “spaz”, a derogatory term for a form of cerebral palsy known as spastic diplegia, in its first verse.
Lizzo has now responded to the criticism by announcing she has re-released it without the offensive lyric.
“Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language,” she wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. “As a fat black woman in America, I’ve had many hurtful words used against me so I overstand (sic) the power words can have (whether intentionally or in my case, unintentionally).”
The reworked version of Grrrls now includes the lyric “hold me back” instead of the original word.
Lizzo indicated the move was “the result of me listening and taking action”. She added, “As an influential artist I’m dedicated to being part of the change I’ve been waiting to see in the world.”
The new version has already replaced the controversial original on streaming services including Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube, the BBC has confirmed.
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