It is said that art is sacred. And even if it offends somebody or another, it should not be changed or modified to fit into the spectrum of what is "acceptable" in our society. But what if the piece in question, whether it is a movie, TV show, or song, offends an already marginalised community? Recently, pop star Beyoncé had to modify the lyrics of her song called 'Heated' from her latest album 'Renaissance'. The reason was a controversy that arose due to the presence of the word called 'spaz'. Disability activists, campaigners and organisations argued that the word is ableist and has been used to humiliate and degrade those suffering from a disability, particularly cerebral palsy. Some others said that the word also carries a colloquial meaning in African American Vernacular English and means to fight or to go crazy. The word is used two times in the song. "Spazzing on that a**, spaz on that a**," sings Beyoncé. "The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced," a statement said from the pop star.
This is not the first time, a musical artist has had to change or modify the lyrics of their songs to satiate offended people. Here are some of the popular singers who changed the lyrics to their songs.