Four days after its original drop, Lizzo has altered the lyrics to her latest single ‘Grrrls’ following backlash over an “ableist slur”.
Following the track’s formal Friday (6.10) release, fans of the superstar singer/songwriter expressed disappointment that it contained the word “s**z”, a derogatory term for a form of cerebral palsy known as spastic diplegia.
Responding and respecting the criticism, the musician (born Melissa Viviane Jefferson) has re-released ‘Grrrl’s without the offensive lyric along with the following Twitter statement:
“Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language.” “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).”
Lizzo indicated the move was “the result of me listening and taking action,” adding “As an influential artist I’m dedicated to being part of the change I’ve been waiting to see in the world.”
Instead of the original word, the reworked version of ‘Grrrls’ now includes the lyric “hold me back” and the new iteration has already replaced the controversial original on streaming services including Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube, the BBC has confirmed.
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Author: Saul Goode
Photo: Raph_PH