“About Damn Time” singer Lizzo was a creative force to be reckoned with this year in every aspect. Professionally, Lizzo had a lengthy run on Billboard‘s Hot 100 Charts and was named this year’s top TikTik artist. In addition, as a humanitarian advocate, the singer provided platforms for several causes, including fellow feminists and LGBTQ+ activists. The Texas representer even found love. Yet, despite all these positive things for the public to focus on, criticisms of her “white-sounding” music still flooded social media.
During her interview with radio jockey Howard Stern, the Grammy-award winner addressed the online remarks also brought up in her documentary, Love, Lizzo.
When asked how the criticism made her feel, Lizzo replied, “[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.”
Staring at the host, Lizzo continued, “Then, on top of that, my message is literally for everybody and anybody. And I don’t try to gatekeep my message from people. So, all three of those things from me, and I’m like, you don’t even get me at all. I feel like a lot of people truthfully don’t get me, which is why I wanted to do the documentary. I feel like y’all don’t get me. Y’all don’t know where I came from. And now, I don’t want to answer no more questions about this sh*t. I just want to show the world who I am.”
This isn’t the first time the Emmy-award winner addressed the remarks. In October, Lizzo told Vanity Fair, “I am not making music for white people. I am a Black woman. I am making music from my Black experience, for me to heal myself [from] the experience we call life.”
Marginalized entertainers often face these remarks after breaking into mainstream culture. So, although it shouldn’t be necessary, it is good to see Lizzo standing up for her art.
Lizzo’s Love, Lizzo documentary is available exclusively on HBO Max.
Watch the full clip of Lizzo’s appearance on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show above.
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. .
