Beyonce, Lizzo lyric changes show the evolving relationship between fan and artist

Warning: This story contains an offensive term used to describe people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities.

Several pop stars have removed offensive slurs from new songs in recent weeks after calls from fans — a sign that the relationship between music artists and their listeners is evolving.

Lizzo made headlines in June for removing the word "s--z" from her song, Grrrls. The term, according to disability advocates, is an offensive slur against people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. 

Just a few weeks after Lizzo's change, Beyonce dropped a new song, Heated, using the same word, which she, too, later removed.

The two performers are not alone in retroactively removing lyrics from published songs. Lana Del Ray did it with her 2020 song Ultraviolence, removing a lyric about domestic violence popularized by 1960s girl group The Crystals. 

Famously, the Black Eyed Peas quietly changed the chorus of their hit song Let's Get It Started a year after its 2003 release, removing the R-word.

"It feels good to know that your artist is paying attention to how you feel about the art that they're putting out," said pop culture writer Veracia Ankrah.

As the relationship between fans and artists changes — and, during the digital age of music, songs can easily be re-recorded and released — artists need to retain ownership of their music while still being thoughtful about the impact of their words, experts say. 

In her Twitter statement announcing the lyric change, Lizzo told fans that her decision was informed by her experiences being the target of hurtful speech. 

"I never want to promote derogatory language," the artist wrote. "As a fat Black woman in America, I've had many hurtful 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 said.

Disability advocate Hannah Diviney, whose online campaign to have Lizzo change the lyric played a part in the artist's decision, wrote an op-ed in the Guardian expressing disappointment in Beyoncé's subsequent use of the word. 

"I thought we'd changed the music industry and started a global conversation about why ableist language – intentional or not – has no place in music," Diviney wrote. "But I guess I was wrong, because now Beyoncé has gone and done exactly the same thing."

Within a few days, a spokesperson for Beyoncé wrote a statement to The Associated Press announcing the change. "The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced," it said.