10 Reasons You Need To Start Sipping Lizzo’s Juice
As Lizzo, herself, once professed: she's not a snack, baby, she's the whole damn meal. And let us be the first to say, you'd be unwise not to bring your appetite.
On Friday (April 19), the "Juice" singer/rapper/flutist phenom released her third solo studio album, Cuz I Love You, and proved her time to strike is 2019. While she's been in the game for some time, she's exploded this year, landing performance spots on The Ellen Degeneres Show and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and dazzling festival-goers with a Coachella set for the books.
Casual fans might not know that Lizzo's been angling for a spot in the limelight since her teens, and spent her high school and college years organizing girl groups, earning a classical music degree and performing at small venues and festivals across the country. In other words, if she does finally explode into the mainstream (and, man, we certainly hope she does), luck will have had nothing to do with it.
Below, check out 10 reasons you have to absolutely start sipping Lizzo's juice (in case you haven't already).
- 1
She's One of the Most Versatile Acts in the Game Today
In just a few tracks' time on Cuz I Love You, Lizzo demonstrates that she's got a voice as booming as a bullhorn (the title track is an epic, sweeping ballad), a rap game that rivals Nicki Minaj ("Tempo" is an absolute banger) and the restraint for bubblegum-pop appeal ("Juice" should be on any radio station far and wide). While some of her contemporaries might find success sticking to a single genre, Lizzo loves music too much to be tethered to a solitary style, and still, somehow, her LP is fluid and convincing.
That said, it's no surprise she's toured with the likes of HAIM and Florence and the Machine — they might seem like disparate acts, but the playbill somehow made sense.
- 2
She's Worship-Worthy Live
Even with a power-outage during her recent Coachella set, Lizzo proved she was a consummate professional ("I'ma keep singing this s---," she assured a confused crowd). And it's no surprise she's such a pro — she's been touring small venues for years, and has the performing-arts background necessary to deliver sets that are as tight and rehearsed as they are flashy and slick.
- 3
She Can Play the Flute Like a Beast
OK, so you know Lizzo can sing, rap and twerk, but don't forget that she's also a classically trained flutist, too. She studied classical music at the University of Houston where she was also in the marching band. One-trick pony, she certainly ain't.
- 4
She's a Body-Positive Boss
With a simple glimpse at her lyrics ("I'm a thick b---h, I need tempo"), a glance at her videos ("Phone" is a particular triumph) and her tireless body-positive messaging to the world, Lizzo has established herself as a pioneer for big girls who aren't ashamed of their shapes. And why should they be? If anyone can perform and move the way Lizzo can — and maintain a level of happiness that seems endemic to her being — then there's only reason to celebrate.
And let's not forget that Lizzo's dancers, the Big Grrrls, are exclusively plus-sized performers.
- 5
She's Good (and Funny) as Hell
In the event Lizzo's singing voice ever gives out on stage, she might consider a backup plan: performing standup comedy. Whether she's making talk show hosts chuckle during interviews or keeping her dancers and staff entertained across her Instagram stories, Lizzo always seems to want to keep those around her smiling, and she seems to always succeed.
- 6
She's a Hustler
2019 might finally be Lizzo's year to shine, but she's hardly a newbie to the game. At 31, she's already three albums into her solo career (her first LP, Lizzobangers, dropped six years ago) and that's after spending her teenage years and early 20s founding and performing in Houston-based girl groups like the Cornrow Clique, Lizzo & the Larva Ink and The Chalice.
- 7
She's Got Prince's Endorsement
Yup, Lizzo contributed to one of the late music legend's final projects, Plectrumelectrum, and said she was surprised by how much freedom Prince gave her to experiment with "BoyTrouble." It's safe to say that if Prince is in your corner, you're in pretty good shape.
- 8
She's Got Some Notable Fans
Between Janelle Monae singing along to Lizzo's set at Coachella, Adam Lambert and Beyonce gushing over her GLAAD Awards performance and Andy Cohen fawning over her during Watch What Happens Live, Lizzo has proven her fanbase is, unsurprisingly, growing, diverse and completely expansive.
- 9
Twerking Is Her Second Language
"Twerking's been out for thousands of years," Lizzo famously argued on The Jonathan Ross Show, doing away with the myth that Miley Cyrus invented the dance move in 2013. And Lizzo, herself, is a master of the booty-shaking move, even — sometimes — with a flute pressed to her lips.
- 10
She's a Veritable Meme Queen
"Bye, bitch!" If you haven't yet heard Lizzo dispense her signature dismissal (it's plastered all over her Instagram and Twitter feeds), you're in for a treat — you might find yourself adopting the sendoff, too, very soon.