[2020 Day 13] Lizzo

LIZZO

Thank God, thank God, thank God, I'm gettin' thicker...



Flautist, rapper, singer, songwriter, dancer, entertainer, Melissa Viviane Jefferson was born in Detroit and relocated to HOUSTON Texas. Lizzo was born out of rapping as a youngin south of Houston in Alief. Later she attended dear alma mater, the University of Houston, studying classical flute. After struggling to make it back in the business, she moved to Minnesota. There she worked with a few groups, including Chalice a three piece group, and released a rap heavy solo album, that would lead her to touring with Har Mar Superstar, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and eventually working with Minneapolis great, Prince. With two albums (and two Late Night TV appearances) to her name, in 2016, Lizzo released Coconut Oil increasing her status, behind the hit single 'Good as Hell'. From there she would release the singles 'Water Me' and 'Truth Hurts' in 2017, putting her on everyone's radar, anticipating a new album. In 2019, Lizzo exploded (metaphorically). Shedding the old material, as if emerging from a crysalis made from word play, high notes, and flutter tonguing, a new Lizzo sprung forth repurposing old singles, lighting the world ablaze with new hit after old hit after new hit with the album Cuz I Love You. A meteoric rise, Lizzo currently finds herself at the top of festival lineups, and in the homes of people from the streets of Houston, to the Mercedes SUVs of Calabasas.

Discography:
Lizzobangers (2013)
Big Grrrl Small World (15)
Coconut Oil (EP) (16)
Cuz I Love You (19)

Ok. Lets talk about Lizzo's ACL20 show. Some of you may have seen Lizzo live from (13-15), some may have seen her at Roo '16. Others may have seen her at SXSW 2019 at Stubb's, March of 2019. Crowds consistent with a rising star, with critical acclaim and an engaging show. Cuz I Love You came out in April. Despite some of the songs already being released as singles, there had clearly been a shift in her standing as an artist, and as a superstar. By October the train had left the station. Grammy submissions close in October and the promotions begin, as nominations are in November. Festival booking happens before then. There's all kinds of examples, Sam Smith, comes to mind as someone underbilled following a huge radio boom, Post Malone. In my ACL experience, the crowd for a then peaking Iggy Azaela overtook the middle stage of the fest and we got swept up in the rush on the way to another stage. People get billed, blow up, the stage they got booked for isn't big enough. It happens. But I have never seen anything like this in a decade plus of going to shows. For the first time, following a weekend one shitshow at the Miller stage, ACL decided they would show Lizzo's performance on the headlining stage's video screens (in addition to the Miller stage's screen), in order to meet the demand of the crowd. Seeing pictures of it was pretty daunting, people commenting they wouldn't go near it during weekend two. I don't know why anyone thought the additional screens would help. They didn't. That weekend two crowd was the biggest crowd I have ever been in. The couple of stadium show's I've been to may have had more people (maybe idk), but the density was incredible. I really liken it to that scene from Parks and Rec, except Jerry's penis is the crowd, and Lizzo's show is mumps. I really didn't even look. Before the show started people were nasty mean, space was in high demand (in an already territorial ACL crowd). My girlfriend and I powered through, because we both wanted to see it, and to some degree it seemed like something worth being a part of. Once it started most of the nastiness went away (people at ACL just suck quite frankly), and (mostly) everyone was radiating the sweet sweet nectar of positivity. She played the flute, she rapped, she sang, she danced, she entertained, everyone knew every word, she played Water Me and Tempo, she told everyone to love themselves, she led a wave that was larger than waves I've been in at stadiums, it was great.




this was the first thing that really got me into lizzo, just a great track


the legendary petit bureau


Watch out for that Lizzo to Meg Houston connection...




see her at Roo.