Lizzo Faces Her Critics in ‘The Guardian’ Interview
The music business is full of ups and downs. Fall off and failures are are common in this industry. But how can a 325 lb classically trained sonic sex bomb and global superstar simply disappear? Lizzo was once a role model to so many, but after receiving allegations of sexual harassment, a hostile work environment, religious and racial discrimination and fat-shaming on her 10 month world tour in 2023, fans became skeptical of who she really was. Simon Hattenstone of The Guardian dives into this and much more in their latest interview.
In the candid interview, Lizzo speaks of the difficulties she’s endured over the past three years. She confirms the rumors of her being deeply suicidal for some time. It got to the point where she cut off many of her loved ones, fully isolating herself from any/all situations. Lizzo believes fame is to blame, arguing that her fame now overshadows her art.
But when it comes to answering questions on the allegations of those three dancers, Lizzo more or less tip toes around the situation. She insists many of her employees would love to go on tour with her again, even claiming a majority of them wrote statements saying exactly this. Indeed a total of 18 former employees did give statements saying that it was a supportive and professional environment. They dismiss the allegations surrounding the three dancers and accuse them of unprofessional behavior.
After essentially disappearing for years, Lizzo is finally back with latest album, ‘BITCH‘, released on June 5th. Unfortunately for the pop superstar, it has more or less underperformed. Disappointing reviews and lack of sales only scratch the surface. ‘Bitch’ failed to make the top 100 in either the US or Britain. Her previous two hit albums both shifted more than 1 million units.
She claims she’s responding to the haters on this release, “We live in a culture where everybody is racing to get the top comment, and the most hurtful comment wins. We’re in a business of hurting each other.” But it seems like the world isn’t ready to forgive nor forget the 2023 scandal. Social media is certainly to blame, but Lizzo’s failure to fully address the problems carries some weight as well.
Lizzo is ‘Fat, Black, and Happy’
Lizzo never expected any of this. She never asked for this level of fame nor necessarily wanted it. But with fame comes scrutiny and for Lizzo, those go hand in hand. “Everything was unexpected. The Grammies, unexpected. The number ones, unexpected. The fame, unexpected. The public scrutiny, unexpected. The one thing I did expect was being a fat, black, happy girl, they were going to try to take that away from me. They were always going to try to tear me down. I always knew, from when
I was a non-famous person, that that makes people uncomfortable. So I kind of signed up for that part.”
But despite these struggles, Lizzo wants everyone to know she’s happy. She feels like she’s pulled through the worst of it and though her newest album hasn’t gone to plan, the pop star refuses to quit, “Yeah, I’m happy. It’s not unique to go through a sad period in your life. Everyone goes through loss, friendship breakups. Everyone’s been lied on. I just experienced it in front of the world. But I’m not going to let anything destroy me. I’m divinely protected and I’m happy.”
She continues to critique societal pressure placed on women in the spotlight. She’s resilient, tough, talented and open to any/all criticism. Melissa Viviane Jefferson once disappeared. But now, she’s back and ready to take on the world. If you’d like to read the full interview, check out Simon Hattenstone’s brilliant work here.
Featured Photo By: Shaniqwa Jarvis/The Guardian