Lizzo releases a new version of her song Grrrls after being blasted by disability activists

Lizzo announced that she released an updated version of her new song Grrrls that features a ‘lyric change’, after she received backlash for using an ableist slur on the track.

The pop singer, 34, said she ‘never want(s) to promote derogatory language’ and said she was ‘dedicated to being part of the change I’ve been waiting to see in the world’.

Taking to her social media platforms on Monday, the three-time Grammy Award winner wrote: ‘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,’ the hitmaker – born Melissa Viviane Jefferson – stated.

‘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),’ the star continued. 

Lizzo then expressed that there’s already a new version of the song: ‘I’m proud to say there’s a new version of GRRRLS with a lyric change. This is the result of me listening and taking action.

‘As an influential artist I’m dedicated to being part of the change I’ve been waiting to see in the world. Xoxo, Lizzo.’

Lizzo was blasted by disability activists on Twitter for including the ‘ableist’ slur in her latest track off her sophomore album Special, which was released on Friday, with fans begging her to ‘remove’ it from streaming services.

Short for the derogatory term ‘spastic’, it is considered to be offensive in the UK, while its US definition is to ‘lose physical or emotional control’.

In her opening verse, the Grammy winner sings: ‘Hold my bag, b****, hold my bag / Do you see this s***? Ima s**z.’

Upset fans soon demanded that she pulls the song while criticising her ‘not being inclusive’ despite all she has done for plus size people. 

One tweeted: ‘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. S**z’ doesn’t mean freaked out or crazy. It’s an ableist slur. It’s 2022. Do better.’

Another added: ‘I’m disappointed in Lizzo for using the word ‘s*z’ in her new song ‘Grrrls’. There’s no excuse for using an ableist insult in a song in 2022.

‘As someone who champions women, plus size people and others whom society treats poorly, Lizzo preaches inclusivity and should do better.’

A third user posted: ‘Hey @lizzo please remove the word ‘s*z’ from your new song because it’s a slur and really offensive to the disabled community.’

A fourth fan wrote: ‘It doesn’t matter if lizzo knew the ableist connotations of the word s**z, it is still problematic. So many people will sing this song and integrate the word into their day to day language.

‘Many disabled people have now educated her and if she doesn’t change I will be so gutted.

‘I acknowledge that the word has different connotations in the US but that doesn’t change the fact that it is a slur. lizzo is a GLOBAL artist and it should’ve been taken into consideration.

‘Also just saying i am a HUGE lizzo fan, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t challenge our idols when they f**k up.’

The Juice hitmaker is gearing up to drop her fourth album, Special, on July 15.

Lizzo last got heat in 2021 for an interaction with Chris Brown where she dubbed him her ‘favorite person in the whole f***ing world’ despite his history of abuse.

A backstage interaction between the pair at the The Millennium Tour – featuring Bow Wow and Soulja Boy – in LA sent social media into a frenzy.

A circulating video of Lizzo with the notoriously problematic performer raised eyebrows, after she was heard calling him ‘my favorite person in the whole f***ing world.’

The interaction caused Twitter to erupt given his sordid past which includes numerous assault allegations, a felony charge for domestic violence against Rihanna, and most recently a rape accusation in 2019.

The interaction went down backstage at The Millennium Tour’s Los Angeles leg, which included performances from Bow Wow, Omarion and Soulja Boy with surprise appearances from Snoop Dogg, Jermaine DuPri and Chris.

Lizzo was in attendance with friends to watch some of her favorites tear up the stage at The Forum, before she fangirled over Brown during a backstage meet and greet.

A fan caught a video of her going up to the Wall to Wall singer and saying: ‘Can I get a picture with you cuz you my favorite person in the whole f***ing world.’

Brown obliged and the pair were seen posing for a snap before her friends joined in for another photo, but after the video began to make its rounds online many social media users were not happy.

‘LIZZO NO BABY,’ wrote one user who was left disappointed by the interaction while another wrote: ‘Not Lizzo asking this man for a picture. Yikes.’

Another objected: ‘Lizzo look at me, LIZZO LOOK AT ME, you’re better than this, please this isn’t like you lizzo.’

One person called the interaction ’embarrassing’ while other fans fired off personal attacks at Lizzo with one even brandishing her song Rumors ‘trash’.

And another wrote in poor taste that she wouldn’t have ever been let into his ‘section’ if she wasn’t famous, because she ‘doesn’t meet the domestic abuser’s criteria.’

Rihanna was left with injuries and hospitalized and he was charged with felony assault and making criminal threats, taking a plea deal of community labor, five years’ probation and domestic violence counseling.

The Umbrella singer was granted a restraining order against Brown, which she later requested to have bumped down to a lesser level in 2011, that would allow them to be in contact as long as he did not harass her.

In 2013 they got back together and continued to make music. ‘He doesn’t have the luxury of f**king up again. That’s just not an option,’ Rihanna said of the rekindling to Rolling Stone.

‘But it’s different now. We don’t have those types of arguments any more. We talk about s**t. We value each other. We know exactly what we have now, and we don’t want to lose that.’

Brown’s history of abuse allegations, violent outburst against men and women span over a decade, with a most recent accusation coming in 2019.

In 2012 he brawled with Drake at a bar, in 2013 he allegedly got into a physical altercation with Frank Ocean, and that same year a female fan sued him, accusing him of assault following a show in Los Angeles.

In October 2013 he was arrested for a felony assault charge after getting into a fight with two men outside of a Washington DC hotel and he spent 36 hours in jail, pleading guilty to assault a year later.

In August 2016 he allegedly threatened a woman with a gun and was subsequently arrested and charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon, before being released from jail on $250,000 bail.

In 2017 he allegedly took his anger out on another girlfriend, model/actress Karrueche Tran, who got a restraining order against him for five years.

She alleged in court that he texted her violent threats, such as, ‘B***h I will beat the s**t out of you’ and ‘I promise you I will make your life hell.’

And most recently in 2019 he was detained in Paris on potential charges of aggravated rape, after a woman filed a complaint with police, but he denied the events.

‘This b***h Lyin. I WANNA MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR…… THIS IS FALSE AND A WHOLE LOT OF [CRAP]!,’ he said adding that it ‘never’ occurred.’

Source: | Dailymail.co.uk