Lizzo is back and better than ever with her sixth album Special. The album has been out a week and has already garnered top reviews from audiences and critics alike.
Who is Lizzo?
Melissa Viviane Jefferson, professionally known as Lizzo is an American hip-hop singer, rapper and songwriter.
She released two studio albums Lizzobangers (2013) and Big Grrrl Small World (2015). In 2016 she released her first major-label EP titled Coconut Oil. Her fourth major-label EP was titled 3rd Ward Bounce.
Her fifth album Cuz I Love You (2019) reached the top five on the US Billboard 200. The deluxe version of this album was released and it included Lizzo’s 2017 single Truth Hurts, which became an overnight viral hit.
At the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2020, Lizzo was nominated for eight awards, the most for any artist that year.
Lizzo has been subject to body shaming throughout her career, however, she is considered positive light for self and body confidence.
Lizzo’s sixth album ‘Special’
On July 15, 2022, Lizzo released her sixth album, Special. In an interview with Variety Lizzo said that her new album will be ‘a love album’ as well as ‘one of the most musically badass, daring and sophisticated bodies of work I’ve done to date.’
Following the release of the album, one of the songs, About Damn Time, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Lizzo ‘Special’ Album Review
Damien Morris, writing for The Guardian gives this album four stars, labelling it ’next-level irresistible disco.’ Morris writes that Lizzo’s ‘voice is eighth-wonder territory – fabulously powerful yet infinitely flexible, an appealing blend of confidence and yearning.’
Writing for The Atlantic, Spencer Kornhaber raves about Speical. ‘The instrumentation aims for the sort of self-consciously retro funk and disco that never seem to go out of style.’
He adds that a love song, from Lizzo, takes on a different form that the kind we are used to. ‘She approaches making music a bit like writing an essay, with thesis statements backed up by colorful examples and persuasive arguments.’
On the Album of the Year website, Special has a 75% critic score. One critic writes ‘the most unabashedly joyous, sonically diverse and emotionally profound album put out by a major label since Beyonce’s Lemonade.’
Another writes, ‘Lizzo really hammers home the idea that in spite of what others may think, we’re all worthy of the freedom that comes from being ourselves.’