Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 10, 2026

Beyoncé to remove ableist slur from 'Heated' after backlash

Beyoncé to remove ableist slur from 'Heated' after backlash

Beyoncé says she will remove an ableist slur from her new album, "Renaissance," after facing online backlash and criticism from disability campaigners.

The 40-year-old singer received rave reviews when she debuted her dance-inspired seventh studio album on Friday, but she came under fire over the weekend when fans noticed the inclusion of a derogatory term in the song "Heated."

On the track, co-written by Drake, Beyoncé sings the line: "Spazzin' on that ass, spazz on that ass."

Beyoncé's seventh studio album, "Renaissance," was released on July 29.


Although the word "spaz" is often used colloquially to describe "freaking out" or "going crazy," it is derived from the word "spastic," which is considered demeaning to people with spastic cerebral palsy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC,) the disorder affects a person's ability to control their muscles, especially in their arms and legs.

"So @Beyonce used the word 'sp**' in her new song 'Heated'. Feels like a slap in the face to me, the disabled community and the progress we tried to make with Lizzo," disability advocate Hannah Diviney wrote on Twitter.

"Guess I'll just keep telling the whole industry to 'do better' until ableist slurs disappear from music."

Another commentator tweeted: "Screw you @Beyonce. You should be a role model, not making money from the lazy use of derogatory language. Shame on you."

Representatives for Beyoncé confirmed on Monday that the lyric would be removed, telling CNN in a statement that "the word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced."

Fans had waited with bated breath for "Renaissance" after the singer dropped the first single, "Break My Soul," in June. It was her first full-length album since 2016's "Lemonade."

Opening up about her creative process on Instagram, Beyoncé told fans: "Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world."

She said her "intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration. "

The singer's decision to edit "Heated" comes weeks after fellow entertainer Lizzo announced a new version of her song "GRRRLS" following complaints about her use of the same term from the disabled community.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Russia’s A7 Builds a State-Linked Payments Network Beyond Western Sanctions
Hyper-Realistic Reborn Dolls Draw Collectors Seeking Comfort and Craft
Gen Z Cuts Back on Dating as a Night Out Nears $200
Patients Turn to Artificial Intelligence for Therapy as Psychiatrists Warn of Privacy and Clinical Risks
Couples Embrace ‘Sleep Divorce’ to Protect Rest and Reduce Tension
Meta Ordered to Pay $567 Million and Change Facebook and Instagram Safeguards for Children
Up to only 10 Months in Prison for Swedish Officer’s Murderer Sparks Anger
Success: Nvidia Turned Gaming Chips Into the Engine of the AI Boom
Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s Father and Longtime Agent, Dies at 68
AI’s Next Bottleneck Is Power, Not Just Nvidia Chips
Advertising trick: Pepsi’s Harrier Jet Commercial Led to a $700,000 Court Fight
Meta Raises AI Spending Target to as Much as $145bn Despite Pressure Over Returns
Danube Drought Exposes Nazi Wrecks and Pushes Central Europe’s Power System to the Brink
Joe Biden’s Cancer Has Spread Beyond His Bones, Hunter Biden Says
Air Traffic Control Outage Grounded Flights Across the Midwest
Why 2027 Could Be a Strong Year for Stocks—and Why the Forecast Is Fragile
Why Markets May Look Quiet in August After Big Tech Earnings
Australian Crew Evacuates Seriously Ill American From Antarctica in Midwinter Darkness
Trump’s Top General Seeks an Exit Strategy From Iran War, Report Says
Brock Lesnar Retires From Wrestling, Closing a Career of Rare Athletic Range and Lasting Controversy
Trump-Era Policy Shifts Test the Boundaries of U.S. Institutions
UK Drought Cuts Harvests and Raises Food-Security Fears
UFO: Pentagon Releases Video of Unidentified Object Tracked Over Middle East
US Health Secretary: “I’m Not Afraid of Germs — I Used to Snort Cocaine Off Toilet Seats”
Ukraine Tells Senate Republicans Its Drone War Offers a Blueprint for America
Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules
Trump Keeps Hegseth at Pentagon While Leaving Door Open for DeSantis
UK Clears Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery Deal, but US Trial Looms
UK Prosecutors Add 38 Charges Against Andrew and Tristan Tate
Taiwan’s President Joins Wartime Command Drill as China Pressure Grows
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Mutual-Defence Pact
HMRC’s 2029 Tax Shift Could Overlap Old and New Self-Assessment Bills
Thetford Disorder Prompts Expanded Police Powers Amid Asylum-Housing Protests
Cambridge Faces Calls for Independent Review of Jason Arday Appointment
Scotland’s ‘Cock of the North’ Woodland Is Being Felled After Wind Damage
Reform UK and Greens Unite Against Vast Solar Plans for Kent Marshland
New Zealand Draws Wealthy Americans With Revamped Investor Visa
Senate Panel Votes to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt After Fifth Amendment Testimony
Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Resigns as University Opens Inquiry Into His Credentials
Manchester Power Failure Disrupts Trains Across North West Into Friday
Lightning Strike Kills Yala FC Player During Match in Southern Thailand
Senate Scrutinises AI-Driven Personalised Pricing
Spain Seeks Mainland Transfers for 1,100 Children Stranded in Ceuta
Spain and Morocco Trade Blame After 72,000 Migrants Enter Ceuta
Met Police Investigated Journalist Who Questioned Cambridge Professor
Badenoch Defends Tory Candidate Jailed for Antisemitic Abuse of Luciana Berger
NHS Spends £240m a Year Storing Paper Records Despite Digital Push
Apple Seeks Court Order to Stop OpenAI Using Alleged Trade Secrets
Breaking With the Past: One of the World’s Smallest Countries Changes Its Name
AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices
×