A scroll through Lizzo’s Instagram is likely to produce any number of gems, from racy photoshoot outtakes to unprompted auditions for the role of “Ursula” in a yet-to-made, live-action Little Mermaid to her now-patented “flute and twerk.” Another flute-related nugget you may have spied on there was a video she posted back in November.
In the short clip, Lizzo appears to be at home. Her makeup-less face takes up most of the frame, her flute is to her lips, and she is playing a blistering, improvised jazz solo. Towards the end of the video, she has to stop playing, laughing, it appears, at just how damn good she is. The caption to the post reads, “WILL FERRELL— I CHALLENGE YOU TO A JAZZ FLUTE DUEL. ? IF YOU KNOW HIM… TELL HIM LIZZOS LOOKIN 4 EM ?????.”
Lizzo was of course referencing Ferrell’s role as Ron Burgundy in the cult comedy film Anchorman. In one of the movie’s most iconic scenes, Burgundy shuts a jazz club down with a ridiculous, impromptu jazz flute performance. Ferrell, apparently, saw Lizzo’s challenge and a few months later, he delivered his rebuttal.
And just like that, the greatest celebrity flute battle the world has ever known was underway. As I noted above, Lizzo doesn’t really half-ass things. The 30-year-old rapper, singer, flutist, and twerker seems to only have one gear, and that’s all the way in.
On Tuesday, we received “The Legend of LIZZO.” With guest appearances from Este Haim and Rightor Doyle, the two and half minute video is a near-shot-for-shot recreation of the legendary Anchorman scene and a work of art. You can check the video out above.
