Recently, you’ve been listening and watching music videos by this black girl magic but still wondering who she is right? She’s American-a singer-songwriter, rapper, and flutist. Of course, she has become a force to reckon with since 2019 when she attained mainstream success. She won three different categories at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards that held in January this year – 2020. Ladies and gentlemen, our #AOTW is no other but Lizzo! She’s bold and beautiful. She’s confident in her early 30s. She is not new in the international music scene. Lizzo actually broke into the music industry about 10 years ago (at 21). And just like our own Teni the Entertainer, She was named (by Time)”Entertainer of the Year” for her rise and contribution to music.
Lizzo had so much going this past year aside from music. She is also an actress. Lizzo served as a voice performer in the 2019 animated film UglyDolls. She also appeared in another 2019 crime comedy-drama film Hustlers. Lizzo was born Melissa Viviane Jefferson was born in Detroit, Michigan on 27 April, 1988 (31). She started rapping as a teenager in Houston- the same place she formed a musical group called Cornrow Clique with her friends at age 14 {that was when she acquired the nickname “Lizzo”, a variant of “Lissa” inspired by Jay-Z’s “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)”}.
Lizzo had her university education at the University of Houston. She studied classical music focusing on flute. She then moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2011 and began her recording career. Lizzo has three studio albums already. Lizzobangers in 2013, Big Grrrl Small World in 2015 and Cuz I Love You in 2019. Lizzo’s debut album Lizzobangers released in October 2013 is purely hip-hop-focused. Some of the tracks on the album include:”Batches & Cookies”, “Faded”, “Bus Passes and Happy Meals”, “Paris”. These tracks have dope music videos as well. The album itself is great. It receives 4 stars out of 5 from great critic. The album was subsequently re-released through Virgin Records.
No 4 Truth Hurts
(It’s off her deluxe version of Cuz I love You of 2017 and it’s Lizzo’s 1st #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It spent 7 weeks on the chart. It won the 2020 Grammy Awards-Best Pop Solo Performance. It’s Lizzo’s 2017 single featured in the 2019 Netflix film Someone Great. It’s a viral sleeper hit that brought so much successs to Cuz I Love You making top 10 of the Billboard 200 for several months.
If you didn’t know Lizzo is a Flutist. That song you just listened to has some flute infused to it. She performed this track at the 2019 BET Awards with the flute and it was a standing ovation. Lizzo plays the flute in several of her musical performances. Moving on!
In December 2015, Lizzo dropped her second studio album, Big Grrrl Small World. The album was placed at #17 on the “50 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015” list. Lizzo signed with Atlantic Records in 2016 and released her first major-label EP, Coconut Oil in October 2016.Commercially, Coconut Oil peaked at #44 on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, making it Lizzo’s first release to chart. Lyrically, the extended play explores themes of body positivity, self-love, and the journey to those ideals
No 3 Juice
(lead single off her third studio album released by Atlantic Records Cuz I Love You, released in April 19, 2019. Juice in 2019 won the Soul Train Music Awards Video of the Year out of 4 nominations. It also was nominated as: Favorite Song — Soul/R&B at the American Music Awards, at the Q Awards – Best Track and at the Queerty Awards 2020 in the category Anthem which is still Pending)
No 2 Exactly How I Feel
(at the 2020 Grammy awards, it was nominated in the category Best R&B Performance)
BONUS Blame It on Your Love” with Charli XCX
(nominated at the 2019 Popjustice £20 Music Prize – Best British Pop Single)
There is something about Lizzo. She raps and sings so well. She was actually one of the hosts of MTV’s live music performance series Wonderland in 2016.
LIZZO FACT
After the release of her 3rd album in 2019, she performed at the Coachella Music Festival for the first time.
She struggled with body issues at an early age. This makes Lizzo an advocate for body positivity and self-love. In 2014, she participated in StyleLikeU’s What’s Underneath project. Then, she removed her clothes as she talked about her relationships with her body. Also in an interview regarding body image, she said: You can wake up and change many things about your appearance, but the inevitability of waking up in your skin is what unifies us.
TOURS HEADLINED:
Good as Hell Tour in 2017, MAHA Music Festival in 2019, Cuz I Love You Tour and Cuz I Love You Too Tour both in 2019 respectively. She was on about 10 other supportive tours between 2018 and 2019
ALBUMS:
Lizzobangers (2013), Big Grrrl Small World (2015), Cuz I Love You (2019)
AWARD & NOMINATION:
Between 2019 and February 2020, she’s been nominated in 20 different awards (18 by the way). She won 4
In 2019: Soul Train Music Awards Video of the Year (Juice) and Album/Mixtape of the Year (Cuz I Love You). Apple Music Awards – Breakthrough Artist of the Year (Herself), Rolling Stone’s International Music Awards – Style (Herself)
In 2020: Grammy Awards (8 nominations 3 wins): Best Urban Contemporary Album (Cuz I Love You- her 3rd album), Best Traditional R&B Performance (Jerome), Best Pop Solo Performance (Truth Hurts). The song was also nominated in two other categories Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Exactly How I Feel was nominated in the category Best R&B Performance.
Lizzo will sure attract more mainstream attention for her music game is tight.
No 1 Jerome
(The only song that won the 2020 Grammy – Best Traditional R&B Performance category)
