Award-winning singer Lizzo listened to her fans this week after receiving pushback for a lyric in her new song, “GRRRLS,” which was released Friday as part of her forthcoming album “Special.”
In the song, the 34-year-old originally sang the lyrics: “Hold my bag, b****, hold my bag / Do you see this s***? I'ma spaz.” The term “spaz” was meant as a euphemism for losing control of oneself, but disability activists on social media quickly pointed out the word is frequently used as an ableist slang term against individuals with certain mobility differences.
According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, “spaz” is an offensive derivative of the word “spastic,” or “spasticity,” which the National Institutes of Health defines as “an abnormal increase in muscle tone or stiffness of muscle, which might interfere with movement, speech, or be associated with discomfort or pain.”
Individuals with conditions including multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, brain trauma and more can suffer muscle spasticity.
Some fans took to social media to express their frustration over Lizzo’s inclusion of the term in her song. Hannah Diviney, a fan who has cerebral palsy, tweeted at the artist: “‘Spaz’ doesn’t mean freaked out or crazy. It’s an ableist slur. It’s 2022. Do better.”
On Monday, the “Truth Hurts” singer took to social media to tell fans she heard their criticisms and changed the lyrics of the song.
“It’s been brought to my attention that there is a harmful word in my new song “GRRRLS”. Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language,” Lizzo wrote in part. “As a fat black woman in America, I’ve had many hurtful words used against me so I understand the power words can have (whether intentionally or in my case, unintentionally).
Lizzo changed the lyrics to read: "Hold my bag, b****, hold my bag / Do you see this s***? Hold me back."
“I’m proud to say there’s a new version of GRRRLS with a lyric change,” Lizzo wrote Monday. “This is the result of me listening and taking action. As an influential artist I’m dedicated to being part of the change I’ve been waiting to see in the world.”
Fans were quick to praise Lizzo for the change – including Diviney, who told The Washington Post just how much the singer’s action meant.
“To see her respond to that by actively listening instead of getting defensive or doubling down is a mark of how genuine she is as an ally and how important the space she occupies in the music industry is,” Diviney told the outlet. “We still have a long way to go in making things better for people with disabilities everywhere, but this honestly gives me hope that the big changes are within reach.”