The race to the 2023 Grammys is on. But, even after earning a No. 1 hit with the single “About Damn Time” and high praise from industry peers, including Missy Elliott, singer Lizzo wasn’t sure if her sophomore album, Special, would make the cut.
The singer stopped by SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show to discuss the multi-nominated project. When asked who she’s facing off with, the singer chuckled, “All of the greatest and biggest names in music: Beyoncé, Bad Bunny, Adele, Kendrick Lamar, you name it… God!”
Remaining humble, Lizzo shared, “I genuinely feel like a winner already. When I go to the Grammys, and I walk the carpet with f*cking gown and look f*cking amazing, and I go on that stage and perform my f*cking ass off, and everybody loves the sh*t out of it — I’m like, that’s my trophy. It really is.”
She continued, “And to be nominated in this goated year — I remember being like, what if they just completely overlook my album because Harry [Styles], Adele, Beyoncé, all of these big people, Kendrick Lamar drop, what if they overlook my album? Which could have easily happened. It’s the sophomore blues, they always say. Your second album kind of flops, and I did the opposite of that. I got a No. 1 [record] and six Grammy nominations. I’m winning. I’m good.”
That’s nothing to brush off, either. Lizzo is currently nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album, Song Of The Year, Best Remixed Recording, and Album Of The Year.
In another portion of the interview, Lizzo also discussed the criticism her music receives for being “white-sounding,” saying, “[It is] very hurtful only because I am a Black woman. I feel like it challenges my identity and who I am. It diminishes that, which I think is really hurtful. And on the other end, I’m making funky, soulful, feel-good music that is so similar to a lot of Black music that was made for Black people in the ’70s and ’80s.”
The 65th Annual Grammy Awards are going down on February 5, 2023.
Watch the full clip of Lizzo’s appearance on Stern above.
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
