Lizzo changes ‘Grrrls’ lyric following backlash: “I never want to promote derogatory language”
nme.comLizzo has addressed the backlash she’s received over an ableist lyric in her new single, ‘Grrrls’, revealing that the line in question has now been altered on streaming services.In the opening verse of the song, as it appeared upon its initial release last Friday (June 10), Lizzo sang: “Hold my bag, bitch, hold my bag/Do you see this shit?
I’mma sp*z.”While used colloquially in the US with a similar meaning to “freak out” or “go crazy”, the censored term emerges from the word “spastic”, which is used medically to describe the spasms one might experience from a condition like cerebral palsy.
The term is often used in a derogative manner to describe those with disabilities like cerebral palsy.After the single was released, fans and disability activists took to social media to acknowledge their disappointment over the lyric.
Some called for the track to be pulled down and re-uploaded with the line removed – a move that Lizzo and her label have made overnight.
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