The two reasons Beyoncé's new album is causing controversy
Beyoncé is to re-record one of the songs on her new album Renaissance, after facing an online backlash over the use of an ableist slur on the highly-anticipated project.
The album dropped on Friday to the delight of the popstar's loyal fanbase, the Beyhive, but fans and activists have criticised her use of the offensive term on the track Heated.
The term is a derogatory term for a form of cerebral palsy known as spastic diplegia.
A spokesman said in a statement to the PA News agency: “The word, not used intentionally in a harmful manner, will be replaced in the lyrics.”
Some fans were quick to point out it was inexcusable for Beyoncé to include the word in her album, after fellow popstar Lizzo recently removed the same slur from one of her own songs after fans asked her to re-record the track.
In a public apology, Lizzo said it had never been her intention to "promote derogatory language."
“It has 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,” she said on social media.
“As a fat black woman in America, I have had many hurtful words used against me so I understand the power words can have (whether intentionally, or in my case, unintentionally.)”
The singer released a new version of the same song with a changed lyric, saying, "as an influential artist I’m dedicated to being part of the change I’ve been waiting to see in the world.”
ITV News Correspondent John Ray explains why the song has been criticised
Disability advocate Hannah Diviney, who asked Lizzo to remove the slur from her song in June, tweeted Beyoncé's use of the word in her lyrics felt "like a slap in the face to me, the disabled community and the progress we tried to make with Lizzo."
"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," tweeted another user.
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Kelis accuses Beyoncé of 'theft'
Meanwhile, Beyoncé has also come under fire for allegedly sampling Kelis' song Milkshake in another track on Renaissance, Energy.
Kelis labelled the use of the track as “theft," in a comment on Instagram and claimed she had never been asked for her permission.
“Not only are we black female artists in an industry where there’s not that many of us, we’ve met each other, we know each other, we have mutual friends. It’s not hard to contact [me]," she said in a video shared to Instagram.
But while Kelis may have criticised Beyoncé, she also took aim at Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are both credited on the album, where Kelis is not.
She has previously accused Williams and Hugo of tricking her into a bad deal which left them with the rights to her song Milkshake.
“Pharrell knows better,” she said. “This is a direct hit at me. The reality is, this is frustrating. I have the right to be frustrated."