Beyonc\u00e9 is facing criticism for using an ableist slur in some lyrics on her new album, Renaissance.<\/p>\n The derogatory term, often used to demean people with spastic cerebral palsy, occurs twice in the song Heated, co-written by Canadian star Drake.<\/p>\n It comes just a couple of weeks after US pop star Lizzo apologised for using the same word in her song GRRRLS.<\/p>\n After that incident, Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s new song \u201cfeels like a slap in the face\u201d, says disability advocate Hannah Diviney.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m tired and frustrated that we\u2019re having this conversation again so soon after we got such a meaningful and progressive response from Lizzo,\u201d she tells the BBC.<\/p>\n Disability charity Scope are asking Beyonc\u00e9 to re-record the song, omitting the insult.<\/p>\n \u201cWords matter because they reinforce the negative attitudes disabled people face every day,\u201d says media manager Warren Kirwan.<\/p>\n \u201cBeyonc\u00e9 has long been a champion of inclusivity and equality, so we\u2019d urge her to remove this offensive lyric.\u201d<\/p>\n The BBC has contacted Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s team for a response.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so annoying because it\u2019s so catchy,\u201d says BBC disability correspondent Nikki Fox. \u201cBut it\u2019s a horrible word.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a word we would never, ever use in the UK \u2013 although we recognise it\u2019s sometimes used differently in the US.\u201d<\/p>\n Fox notes that the track has 11 writers, and would have been cleared by several people at Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s record label.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you think of how many people that song will go through and not one of them thought, \u2018Hang on a minute\u2019, and not one person was not aware of the hoo-hah when Lizzo used the same word. It\u2019s very disappointing.\u201d<\/p>\n Similar comments spread across social media after Renaissance was released last Friday.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was the point of Lizzo changing her lyrics if Beyonc\u00e9 could just casually drop a song that has the same exact words in it?\u201d asked epilepsy campaigner @theblackgirlwarrior on TikTok (warning \u2013 video contains expletives).<\/p>\n Her video also addressed Beyonc\u00e9 fans who claimed the insult has different connotations in the US \u2013 where it is often used to mean \u201cfreaking out\u201d or \u201cgoing crazy\u201d (although those terms can themselves be insensitive to people with mental health conditions).<\/p>\n \u201cThe s-word will forever be harmful to people in the disability community\u2026 that\u2019s not going away,\u201d she said in her video. \u201cLanguage is such a complex thing and words can validly mean different things to different people, but I don\u2019t see why any artist would use a word in their song that causes so much upset to millions worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n Clarinet player Tara Allen recalled how the word had been used against her as a child, in a message directed towards Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s official Twitter account.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a disabled [person] who grew up being called a sp@z\u2026 to diminish my NeuroDivergent experiences, belittle me, and bully me, I am beyond words hurt you have chosen to use this word in your song,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve hurt the community, apologise and change.\u201d<\/p>\n In June, Lizzo faced a similar outcry over her song, GRRRLS. Within days, she apologised and re-recorded the song, removing the offensive lyric.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language,\u201d she wrote in a statement posted to social media.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a fat black woman in America, I\u2019ve had many hurtful words used against me so I understand the power words can have (whether intentionally or in my case, unintentionally).\u201d<\/p>\n Hannah Diviney acknowledged it might be harder to elicit an apology from Beyonc\u00e9, \u201cbecause of how much more elevated she is, culturally-speaking.<\/p>\n \u201cBut equally, that makes me more determined for a response.\u201d<\/p>\n Kelis criticism<\/strong><\/p>\n Heated is not the only song on Beyonce\u2019s seventh studio album to attract criticism.<\/p>\n Last week, R&B star Kelis accused the star of \u201ctheft\u201d after learning her anthem Milkshake had been interpolated on a song called Energy (interpolation is when one song references another, without directly sampling it).<\/p>\n Kelis said she had not been informed in advance, and that her \u201cmind is blown\u201d by the \u201clevel of disrespect\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not hard. She can contact me, right?\u201d Kelis said on Instagram. \u201cIt\u2019s common decency.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Beyonc\u00e9 would not have had to seek Kelis\u2019s permission to reference Milkshake, as she is not a credited writer on the song and does not own the copyright.<\/p>\n Instead, permission would have been sought from writer\/producers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo \u2013 who duly receive a share of the royalties from Energy.<\/p>\n It appears that the basis of Kelis\u2019s disagreement lies with them. She has previously accused the duo, professionally known as the Neptunes, of \u201clying and tricking\u201d her into a bad deal, which gave them the rights to her music instead of splitting the royalties three ways.<\/p>\n In an Instagram video about Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s song, she confirmed that they were the source of her frustration.<\/p>\n \u201cPublishing was stolen, people were swindled out of rights. It happens all the time, especially back then. So it\u2019s not about me being mad about Beyonc\u00e9.<\/p>\n \u201cPharrell knows better,\u201d she added. \u201cThis is a direct hit at me [and] he does this stuff all the time. The reason I\u2019m annoyed is because I know it was on purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n Neither Pharrell Williams nor Chad Hugo could be reached for comment.<\/p>\n SOURCE: BBC<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cAfter the outcry from Lizzo\u2026 I can\u2019t believe that nobody in Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s team was aware of how hurtful the word is to many within the disabled community,\u201d agreed autism advocate Callum Stephen on Twitter.<\/p>\n