If you haven’t heard of her, there’s a newly popping new artist out there! Although Lizzo is originally from Michigan, she got her start as a local recording artist in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As a fellow Minneapolitan, I could not be prouder — or more excited to have bragging rights! When she walked the red carpet at the VMAs, I was all like, “THAT’S MY GIRL!!
Many fans have been following her locally since 2011, but Lizzo’s first major EP was released in 2016.
Thereafter, she quickly gained a loyal following in the Twin Cities. In fact, her most popular single, “Truth Hurts,” (which has now topped the Billboard Hot 100 as the longest-running No. 1 single for a female rap artist) has actually been out for two years! Personally, I heard it for the first time in January of 2019 via my sister’s playlist. “Juice,” which is another hit single, was also on that playlist. I knew I liked it but was embarrassed I couldn’t sing along.
Lizzo is absolutely the kind of artist you have to sing along to. Her lyrics are all about independence, self-appreciation, self-love, female empowerment, and not letting a man or significant other control your mood. She is not only incredibly talented, but she’s also a role model for all of us who need to love ourselves a little more. In addition to singing and rapping, she’s also a professional flutist and actress! Talk about a revolutionary talent!
Furthermore, Lizzo has a radical attitude we haven’t seen from any other female artist.
Lizzo is celebrated for her messages of body positivity and self-love. She’s not ashamed of her body, nor should she be! She constantly says she loves herself and encourages others to love themselves too. Most importantly, she encourages us to love ourselves just as we are right now – not after we drop those “extra” twenty pounds.
Recently on her Instagram, @lizzobeeating, she posted a tweet where a fan asked, “How is it possible I listened to the great @lizzo tell me how important self-love is and I still somehow hate myself like that’s just not right.” No worries, though. Lizzo wisely and eloquently replied:
That’s right, ladies! “Give your growth time.”
It really is programming from external influences. You probably weren’t born hating yourself. You didn’t disapprovingly stare at your thighs in the mirror when you were six months old. And you didn’t care about having peach fuzz on your legs when you were just a little girl. But at a certain point, you hit puberty and become more vulnerable to razor advertisements. Lizzo has said that loving yourself is necessary for survival – not just about the occasional girl’s night out or buying certain things in order to appear flawless.
As brilliant as the movement Lizzo seems to be spearheading is, I find it disappointing that this is considered revolutionary. Self-love, as a concept, should not be so foreign in our culture.
This is exactly why I’m so proud of Lizzo for putting herself out there the way she does. She’s not just doing it for herself. She’s doing this for all of us. If you think of self-love as a means of survival, it can totally flip your perspective on how necessary it is. Life is too short to hate yourself. I say that as a woman who has spent much of her life hating many aspects of herself. But I’m sick of it. This is who I am, I’ll never be anyone else, why go about hating myself for the rest of my life?
I wish this self-love “revolution” had come about sooner.
I wish Lizzo was around while I was in my formative years, then maybe this lesson wouldn’t be so hard to learn now. Still, I’m grateful it’s finally happening. The important thing is that we learn the lesson. Life is too short to hate yourself, so try accepting yourself instead. Eventually, self-acceptance will lead to self-love. It’s always a process though. It’s a battle we have to actively fight every day in our society. But if Lizzo’s taught us anything, it is so worth the fight.
If you want to read some more of Lizzo’s amazing thoughts on self-care, read her opinion piece on NBC News here.
Featured image via Lizzo on Instagram
