Lizzo changed the lyrics to her newest song to eliminate a slur after receiving some backlash. Her latest song, “Grrrls”, used a slur against people with disabilities. In the first verse, there was an insulting word for cerebral palsy, which is also called spastic diplegia. Fans called the singer out.
Hey @lizzo my disability Cerebral Palsy is literally classified as Spastic Diplegia (where spasticity refers to unending painful tightness in my legs) your new song makes me pretty angry + sad. ‘Spaz’ doesn’t mean freaked out or crazy. It’s an ableist slur. It’s 2022. Do better.
— Hannah Diviney (@hannah_diviney) June 12, 2022
Hey @lizzo please remove the word "spaz" from your new song because it's a slur and really offensive to the disabled community
— Shelby 🖤 (@Shelbykinsxo) June 10, 2022
From a disappointed fan 😔💔
Lizzo took the criticism to heart. She released a new version that didn’t have the harmful word. Lizzo said the change was “the result of me listening and taking action.” Fans praised Lizzo for her quick reaction to their call to change the lyric.
I had no idea that the word “spaz” was a slur. But hey…The more you know, the more you grow! Handclaps to Lizzo!