Lizzo Switches Out The Word ‘Sp*z’ In Her New Song ‘GRRRLS’ Following Backlash, Ableism Claims

Lizzo is switching up the lyrics in her song “Grrrls” after facing backlash over it allegedly being abelist language. 

“Hold my bag, bitch/ Hold my bag/ Do you see this s***?/I’m a sp*z/I’m about to knock somebody out/ Yo, where my best friend?/ She the only one I know to talk me off the deep end,” reads the original words to Lizzo’s hit track “Grrrls.” But following its airway play, people began speaking out against the song claiming it included ableist language in the word “sp*z”

“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,” read one Twitter user. 

“Hey @ lizzo please remove the word “spaz” from your new song because it’s a slur and really offensive to the disabled community From a disappointed fan,” said another Twitter user. 

The word spaz is reportedly often used a slur to reference someone with cerebral palsy. The musician immediately responded to the backlash, apologizing for the inclusion of the word. 

“It’s been brought to my attention that there is a harmful word in my new song “GRRRLS,” Lizzo began in a social media statement. “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 the power words can have (whether intentionally or in my case, unintentionally.)”

She went on to say that she is excited about the new version of the song, which includes a lyric change. 

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