Self-love and a flute: How Lizzo rose to fame
Courtesy of Hollywood Reporter
Before 2019, the name Lizzo was unknown to most people, but now Lizzo is synonymous with body positivity, playing the flute and being “the baddest bitch.” In 12 months, Lizzo has established herself as a force to be reckoned with within the pop, hip-hop and rap genres, respectively. While it may seem that Lizzo quickly rose to fame with her eight award nominations, a performance at Coachella and the beginning of her “Cuz I Love You Too” tour all happening this year, her career has been almost a decade in the making.
At the beginning of her career, Lizzo performed with various groups before releasing her first album, “Lizzobangers,” in 2013. It received mild acclaim and it wasn’t until the release of her EP “Coconut Oil” in 2016 that Lizzo started to receive some clout. The reason for this new recognition might be because earlier that year, she signed with Atlantic Records. Known for representing artists such as Bruno Mars, Cardi B and Ed Sheeran, Atlantic Records is one of the leading record labels in the industry. With the combined forces of the label’s power and Lizzo’s infectious bops, it was inevitable that she would one day reach the acclaim that she currently has.
Although her EP was released three years ago, one of her more iconic songs, “Good as Hell,” has only now been recognized by mainstream media. It has become one of her many songs that promotes self-love and self-care.
Her popularity has grown exponentially since the release of her album “Cuz I Love You” on April 19th of this year. Lizzo introduced the album in the best way possible: by releasing what is now one of her most well-known songs, “Juice.” The upbeat tempo, which is almost reminiscent of ’70s disco, is accompanied by lyrics to match. She preaches about how she’s “the baddest bitch,” and she can’t help it because she was “born like this, don’t even gotta try.” While her music presents an entertaining perspective on self-love, that exact concept is something that many people struggle with in today’s society. Many people find self-care and having love and respect for yourself to be selfish acts, but Lizzo embraces them. “Juice” is just one in a long list of Lizzo’s songs that promotes the message that self-love is important and shouldn’t be stigmatized.
When “Cuz I Love You” dropped this year, not only were we blessed with “Juice,” but also hits like “Boys,” “Tempo” and “Truth Hurts.” While Lizzo has arguably produced bops, and bops only, “Truth Hurts” is one of the songs that catapulted her into fame, along with “Juice” and “Good as Hell.” It was featured in the Netflix’ film “Someone Great,” and the iconic line “I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100% that bitch,” has become frequently used throughout social media. It has also been No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the past two weeks. This song focuses on bouncing back after a failed relationship, and it’s shown as empowering rather than sad. It’s far removed from most popular songs on the radio now that focus on negative attitudes towards others, rather than promoting a positive attitude towards yourself.
The popularity of her music can be partially attributed towards the constant confidence that each of her songs exudes, regardless of the subject matter. This is most likely why her song “Good as Hell,” which was featured on her 2016 album “Coconut Oil,” became popular over two years later. Now more than ever, we crave music that will uplift us and distract from the depressing environment around us, so Lizzo’s music, regardless of whether it is from her recent album or one of her older ones, is a perfect outlet to get people feeling “good as hell” again.
The uplifting nature of Lizzo’s music is only half of what makes her a breakout artist this year; the other half is her ability to perform a show unlike any other. If you have never heard Lizzo’s music before, there are two key identifiers that people can recognize her from: her unabashed love of her body and her frequent use of the flute within her performances. While her body positivity can be seen in her lyrics and the nude album cover for “Cuz I Love You,” her use of the flute is truly out of the ordinary. Before going on to produce her now successful albums and EP’s, Lizzo received a degree in classical flute performance. Now, she uses that skill as a way to enhance her music and set her apart from everyone else – she even plays it during live performances while twerking to the tempo.
Lizzo is everything but the kitchen sink. She is versatile and brings more to the table than most musical acts out there today. Her climb to the top was not an immediate one, but it was a deserving one. Lizzo soared to new heights in this past year alone, and it will be exciting to see how she grows as an artist and performer in the years to come. As a singer, rapper and flutist who is topping the charts, Lizzo continues to prove that she is, without a doubt, “100% that bitch.”
