The lyrics of the song Grrrls, which was released last week, originally used a disparaging name for a kind of cerebral palsy called spastic diplegia. Following complaints from many in the disabled community that the song contains a phrase that is deemed a “ableist slur,” Lizzo said on Monday that she is changing the lyrics to Grrrls. A slur towards individuals with disabilities, “spaz,” is used in the song, and is a part of Lizzo’s upcoming album “Special.”
Fans begged her to record the song again with different lyrics after expressing their “shocked” and “disappointed.” The celebrity took the criticism to heart and on Monday night she released a new song without the damaging phrase. Although the phrase has hurt some people, the online discussion has a strangely compassionate tone to it. The term employed in Grrrls has a distinct meaning in the US, where it is frequently used to mean “freaking out” or “going wild,” as some fans have pointed out.
“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 an Instagram post. “As a fat black woman in America, I’ve had many hateful words used against me so I understand the power words can have (whether intentionally or in my case unintentionally). I’m proud to say there’s a new version of GRRRLS with a lyric change,” she added.
The song goes with Lizzo singing, “Hold my bag, bitch, hold my bag/ Do you see this shit? I’m a spaz.” The new version now has Lizzo singing: “Hold my bag, bitch, Hold my bag/ Do you see this shit? Hold me back.” The second single from Lizzo’s upcoming studio album Special, Grrrls, was released in the wake of the buzz surrounding her TikTok-favorite “About Damn Time” song. Apparently, the new project will debut on July 15.