Two years ago, Lizzo decided enough was enough. Hit by accusations of sexual harassment and discrimination from former back-up dancers (which she denies), she posted: “I’m starting to feel like the world doesn’t want me in it (…) I quit.” New stories followed as many believed she was leaving the industry for good. Days later, she clarified on social media: “When I say ‘I left,’ I mean I don’t pay attention to any negative energy.”
The problem is,bitchLizzo’s fifth album is devoted almost entirely to negative energy. “A Toast” opens the record with a plaintive growl: “I hope it makes you happy/ To hurt someone else/ And when you lose it all/ I hope you find yourself.” “She Stole My Man” is a pop-punk diatribe about a romantic rival. And on the uptempo, Tina Turner-inspired “Don’t Make Me Love U,” she sings like a spurned lover: “If you’re just gonna change your mind/ Don’t waste my time.” It’s not about a man – she revealed in an interview – it’s us, the public, who have let her feel upset.
In 2019, Lizzo could do no wrong. Her third studio albumBecause I love youearned her a Grammy and a devoted fan base. They loved everything she stood for: body positivity, independence, radical self-love.
Now, it seems they’ve changed their minds. “She’s a whore,” opens the title track, which intersperses Meredith Brooks’ Nineties alt-rock number of the same name: “I’m a whore / I’m a lover / I’m a baby / I’m a mother.” It works well, trading off Brooks’ shrill guitars with pulsing R&B, but the song isn’t filled with the wit of Lizzo’s earlier work. “I’m that whore,” she sings, referencing the iconic line from her first hit “Truth Hurts”: “I just took a DNA test, it turns out I’m 100 percent that whore.” The humor, the clever turn of phrase, is cut. We have remained bravely aimless.
Later in the album, Lizzo’s brand confidence begins to wane. On “Like A Crime,” a stripped-back acoustic number, she sings, “I guess I people-please too much”; there’s a whole song about being “Too Beautiful”. It all feels like boring, condescending bragging.
Lizzo was at her best when she flaunted her entire chest. Her greatest gift was optimism. “If I shine, everybody shines,” she once sang, triumphantly, on “Juice” from her Grammy-winning album. But after years of mega-stardom, Lizzo’s juice — once full of flavor — has begun to taste bitter.
(Further reading: Doja Cat’s Fascinating World Tour)
