Beyoncé faces backlash over ableist slur in lyrics to new Renaissance track ‘Heated’

Lyric has been described as a ‘slap in the face’ to the disabled community

Beyoncé has faced a backlash online over the use of an offensive term in her new track “Heated”.

The song appears on the artist’s latest album, Renaissance, which was released last week.

Update: Beyoncé has now confirmed via a representative that the word will be removed from the track.

Fans and activists on social media have spoken out against the song, which uses an ableist slur in its outro.

“Sp***in’ on that ass, sp** on that ass,” read the lyrics.

The term in question, derived from the word “spastic”, is considered more offensive in the UK than in the US, where it is often used as a synonym for “freaking out”.

However, the term’s usage and origins have been criticised by disability organisations on both sides of the Atlantic.

Condemnation of the word’s inclusion on Renaissance has been shared on social media, with many fans asking for Beyoncé to edit the slur out of the song.

“So @Beyonce used the word ‘sp**’ in her new song ‘Heated’. Feels like a slap in the face to me, the disabled community and the progress we tried to make with Lizzo,” wrote disability advocate Hannah Diviney.

“Guess I’ll just keep telling the whole industry to ‘do better’ until ableist slurs disappear from music.”

Beyonce pictured in 2019 (AFP via Getty Images)

“So Beyoncé using the sp*z slur too in her new song?? do we learn nothing???” another listener wrote.

“Beyoncé using a slur generally directed at disabled people in her music is very disappointing. Especially when it’s the same slur that another big artist was called out for recently using in one of their songs,” wrote someone else.

The Independent has contacted a representative of Beyoncé for comment.

In June, Lizzo was called out for the use of the same ableist slur in one of her new tracks.

After being criticised online for the word’s inclusion, Lizzo re-edited the song and issued a statement saying that she “never wants to promote derogatory language”.