Lizzo swaps song lyrics

Lizzo's swift lyric change - 4th July 2022

Pop star Lizzo has changed the lyrics to her latest song after fans complained about using an offensive slur.

‘GRRRLS’, which was released in June, originally contained a derogatory term for a form of cerebral palsy known as spastic diplegia, in the first verse. Fans said they were "shocked" and "disappointed", and asked her to re-record the song with alternative words. Lizzo immediately took the criticism to heart and released a new version omitting the word.

"Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language," she wrote in a statement posted to social media. "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)."

The quickly reworked version of ‘GRRRLS’ now includes the lyric "hold me back" in place of the original. Lizzo said the change was "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.” The new version of the song has already replaced the original on streaming services, including Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube.

Some disability advocates praised the singer for her actions. "Proud of Lizzo for listening to the disabled community and amending her song," autism activist Callum Stephen wrote on Twitter. "Everyone makes mistakes – what is important is how we respond to them.

Author Malorie Blackman also applauded the singer's swift response, saying: "We're all only human and we all sometimes get things wrong. It's how we handle the resultant criticism and move forward that helps to define us."