"Heated" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé. It is the eleventh track on her seventh studio album, "Renaissance" (2022), which was released on July 29, 2022, through Parkwood and Columbia.
Composition and lyrics.
"Pitchfork" writer Julianne Escobedo Shepherd described the song as an "a pulsing afrobeats track". Michaelangelo Matos of "The New York Times" described as a "neo-dancehall form over a slinky, wood-block-heavy groove". The song also features elements of ballroom music.
"Heated" referred to Beyoncé's "Uncle" Jonny, her gay cousin who introduce the singer to post-1970s Black ball culture, dance music and club culture, concept of "Renaissance." The song was considered a tribute to "Uncle" Jonny, who helped raise her until his death during the AIDS epidemic.
The song contains a sample of "Where to Land", written by Travis Garland, Jonathan Yip, Ray Romulus, Jeremy Reeves and Ray Charles McCullough II and performed by Travis Garland.
Controversy.
The song was met with criticism online for its use of the word "spaz" in its lyrics, which disability advocates said is an ableist slur. Other users online said that "spaz" has a different meaning in African-American English and is synonymous with "freaking out". Beyoncé announced the following day that the word would be removed from the song, with the word soon being replaced with "blast".
Live performance.
Beyoncé first performed "Heated" in Stockholm, Sweden on the opening night of the Renaissance World Tour, including it on the setlist for the duration of the tour. 