Lizzo: “I Can Tell My Story And Share My Music And Help People”
Lizzo has talked to Elle UK about using her success to help people, her self-doubt during her formative years and her new album.
The singer reflected on what a powerful force for good her music could be, “It’s a very peaceful place for me to be in now because I feel like all my projects before this were not in pursuit of fame, but in pursuit of telling my story, and finding my voice and then, eventually, helping people… I can tell my story and share my music and help people. And it’s great because I can now do it without having to explain who I am. I never have to go, ‘Hi, my name is Lizzo,’ ever again. Nah, y’all know who I am. So just enjoy the music. Enjoy the ride.”
Lizzo went on to discuss her sense of self-doubt in her early years, “I know people want to look like me now. But I’m talking about what it was like in my formative years. I wasn’t really set up to believe that I was desirable. For me, being a pop star – part of it is people either want to be you or be with you. And I didn’t feel like I had any of those qualities.”
She also talked about her intention for her hit new album, Special, “It was hard for me to find meaning, being an entertainer, while people were dying at a high rate. I had to remember, when we come out of lockdown, people are going to be coming out of a depression. And the end of lockdown does not signify the end of their mental-health struggles. So I wanted to make music that people can use as a soundtrack to survive. That was the driver for this album… All of these incredible songs are giving people the language to express themselves and to have a release after everything they’ve experienced… All of these incredible songs are giving people the language to express themselves and to have a release after everything they’ve experienced.”