I can’t say this scintillating lyricism has suffered from the change, I do think the speed with which Lizzo effusively apologized and changed her song at the eruption of a little internet outrage is part of a worrisome trend, writes madelineefry.
Lizzo is not the kind of pop star who usually faces criticism from the Left. Her upbeat songs and message of radical self-love have made her a millennial icon. But even liberal darlings can’t keep up with all of the new demands.
This isn’t the first time the word has caused controversy as part of a song lyric, though. “Kanye West was criticized for using the word in a 2015 song ‘FourFiveSeconds,’ a collaboration with Paul McCartney and Rihanna,” the New York Times notes. “And in 2014, Weird Al Yankovic said he was ‘deeply sorry’ for including a related word in his song ‘Word Crimes,’ saying he didn’t know it was considered offensive.
The new lyrics, which you can already hear when you stream the song, are: “Hold my bag, b**** / Hold my bag / Do you see this s***? Hold me back.”