Lizzo changes offensive line in new single following backlash
Lizzo has changed a line in her new single ‘Grrrls’ following controversy over the use of a word that originates as a slur against people with cerebral palsy.Apparently unaware of the negative connotations of the word, Lizzo last night confirmed that she had re-recorded the line in the song that included it and had not intended to “promote derogatory language”.“Hold my bag, bitch, hold my bag / Do you see this shit? I’ma spaz”, sang Lizzo in the opening line of the original version of the song, released on Friday. Defending Lizzo, some fans argued that the word no longer has ableist connotations, and rather means “go crazy” or “freak out” – terms that have their own issues.People with cerebral palsy countered that it’s not for non-disabled Lizzo fans to tell them what they should or shouldn’t be offended by.“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 and sad”, wrote disability advocate Hannah Diviney on Twitter.