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“Feels like a slap in the face to me, the disabled community & the progress we tried to make with Lizzo. “So used the word ‘spaz’ in her new song Heated,” disability advocate Hannah Diviney wrote via Twitter the day after the album release. Medical professionals define the word “spastic” as a symptom of a disability that makes it difficult to control one’s muscles, including cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, strokes and spinal cord injuries. “Spazzin’ on that ass, spazz on that ass,” she sings on the original version of the track. While Beyoncé’s album Renaissance, which initially dropped in July 2022, was widely met with praise, controversy sparked after listeners noticed the singer used the word “spaz” in the song “Heated.” Beyoncé has joined the ranks of Taylor Swift, Lizzo and other artists who have changed their lyrics after realizing they offended listeners.
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