You've heard the song. Whether in the car, at a party, or blasting out of your roommate's bedroom after a rocky breakup, Lizzo's Truth Hurts is sassy, unapologetic, and inescapable. This summer's anthem has transitioned into fall perched at the top of Billboard's Hot 100 list for the fifth week in a row. What launched this song, and Lizzo herself, out of the indie periphery and into the spotlight?
Lizzo grew up as Melissa Jefferson, a spunky church girl in Houston, Texas. She cites gospel music as an early creative inspiration. As she got older she got into hip hop and rap, but eventually majored in flute performance at the University of Houston. She then came up in the Minneapolis music scene, eventually co-signing with Prince.
Hard work, setbacks, a few hits, a stint on the top of the charts, and she's off. What, besides her musical chops, is the key to her success? One word- memeability. What I mean here is the ability to produce sharable, clickable content that resonates with people in an impactful way. This is evident in her songwriting, her online presence, and her on-stage persona.
Truth Hurts tackles one of life's tragic inevitabilities, a nasty breakup. Rather than a tear-stained ballad or an angsty diary entry, Lizzo serves up an empowering jam about assessing damages, packing up, and moving on. The end product is both refreshing and deeply relatable. The song was actually released in 2017, but it wasn't on the cultural radar until it became the defining song of Netflix's love letter to breakups, Someone Great. As soon as audiences heard the first few punchy lyrics, social media was abuzz with the track. The rest is history.
In fact, social media has a lot to do with Lizzo's general rise to stardom. She's known for her goofy flute videos, whether it's personifying the instrument (She frequently voices her flute's inner monologue on its own special account, @sashabefluting on Instagram- I'm serious) or videos of her dancing while playing difficult technical pieces.
This kind of content is both impressive and goofy, innovative and unexpected. As with her music, her internet content is indescribably exactly what people want to see, when they want to see it.
Though successful on the internet, on stage is where Lizzo really shines. "For years, people would come up to me and be like 'You know, your albums are good, but I always tell my friends they gotta see you live 'cause it's way better'". I had the chance to see a live show of hers back in 2017, where she performed at a Minnesota college auditorium. Even from the back row of the mezzanine, I could feel a kind of powerful energy that was hard to describe. It wasn't just her voice- I found her brief interludes in which she talked to the audience really memorable. She spoke about body positivity, love, acceptance, and empowerment. These are topics we see many tackle today but none so accurately and accessibly muse them about like Lizzo.
Her "I Weigh" interview about body acceptance and personal growth
https://www.instagram.com/tv/Bv3hYPrHI3I/?hl=en
Needless to say, I went into that concert a casual spectator and came out a die-hard fan. On September 26th, she came to Chicago to play a show at the Aragon Ballroom, and my friend and I did all we could to be there. She played an electric show and left the audience with a speech about her unique journey. Emotionally, she told us "If I can live my dream, you can live your dream." Ending the show, she implored us to embody the message she promotes. "Chicago, I want you to take this feeling home with you." I did.
Turning to the subject matter of this course, how do we classify Lizzo's creativity? As Howard Gardner credits Gandhi with being an interpersonal innovator, so I credit Lizzo with the same creative skill. I am not saying Lizzo is comparable to Gandhi in every way or that their creative products have anywhere near the same importance. I am simply arguing that they use their talents and platforms in parallel ways. In Creating Minds, Gardner states:
"In my study Gandhi represents a person whose ideas and, even more dramatically, whose courageous personal example directly affected the behaviors of millions of people. Moreover, Gandhi exerted his impact in ways more constructive than those adopted by the twentieth-century totalitarian leaders and potentially more significant than those associated with commercialism and the mass media" (pp. 12-13).
Lizzo has wrapped up her music, public image, and values into a beautiful and cohesive creative product, all by being herself. Gandhi was similar, adopting and personifying the message he wished the world to hear. They know how to reach people. These two are successful (again, I stress- with varying degrees of impact) because the essence of who they are is in their work. And who they are is inspiring.
Or maybe I'm an overenthusiastic fan. You be the judge of that.
Sources:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/lizzo-cuz-i-love-you-interview-822354/
https://www.npr.org/2016/12/04/504175578/marching-flute-and-fantasy-fiction-the-education-of-lizzo
https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/instruments/flute/lizzo-hip-hop-classical-music-new-audiences/
https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100?rank=1
https://slate.com/culture/2019/09/lizzo-truth-hurts-number-1-billboard-hot-100.html
https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Minds-Creativity-Einstein-Stravinsky/dp/0465027741
I love how you take every aspect of Lizzo's "brand" into account for your assessment of her as creative. I agree that she is an interpersonal innovator! Do you think more artists will replicate this brand by virtue of how popular she is becoming? If she is replicated, is she still creative?
ReplyDeleteLizzo definitely has the ability to affect thousands of people. I think people resonate with her because we have a cultural movement of being more accepting of each other. It really interesting how you connected and compared Lizzo's branding to how Gandhi presented himself as the face of non-violent protesting. Personally, I do not think that other artists will copy Lizzo's branding because it is something that is unique to her and her creative process.
ReplyDeleteI love Lizzo! I discovered her this summer, when I think most people did, and I didn't know much about her background but this was insightful. What also brought her to be so popular is her body positivity and overall positivity for everyone; she encourages men and women to love themselves and to find their own happiness, and that a breakup doesn't have to be the end of the world. She's there to pick you up, dust off your clothes, and keep you moving through your life. I think that behavior in association with "break up" songs is what defines Lizzo, compared to other artists. Everyone can feel empowered, and deserves to feel special, and that is how Lizzo treats everyone. That makes her unique, and I think it would be difficult for anyone to replicate her message and personality exactly.
ReplyDeleteI am a HUGE Lizzo fan!!! I think Lizzo uses her platform to show that she is so much about self-love and empowerment. Being a woman and being comfortable in your own skin are not always two things that easily exist in tandem and Lizzo's unapologetic ownership of everything that sets her aside from the crowd is awe-inspiring! Her calling out of men for holding the highest seats of power on the plane yet never seeming to be to do any good with it emphasizes her usage of her platform to call for a change in fields that extend beyond herself.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love Lizzo!! Lizzo's ability to show everyone that it is okay to be positive and comfortable in your own body is something that everyone this age struggles with. She has an ability to influence everyone else around her. I can't wait to see what she does in the future and continue to empower those around her.
ReplyDeleteI love Lizzo so much! I saw her back in 2016 when she appeared on Samantha Bee and now she is my sister and I's favorite artist. I had no idea who she was at the time, but I remember being shocked by her message of self acceptance and her confidence on stage. My Dad, who can't tell the difference between Harry Styles and Beyonce, forwarded me a link to her 60 Minutes special a couple of weeks ago with a caption "she's a neat young lady." That's how you know she must be truly transformative! Not everyone can rock a sheer leotard and Ugg boots like she can!
ReplyDeleteI think Lizzo is very interesting. She is very prominent on online platforms that are relatively quite new. Because of this, she will mold the future of the platforms and inspire future creators. I think it is also interesting how she is a beacon of positivity on the internet which is ravaged by hate and negativity.
ReplyDeleteReading through this post, I find myself drawing parallels between Lizzo and Lil Nas X. Both have found success in an incredibly superficial industry. Both are challenging the norms that very commonly come to mind when one thinks of the mainstream music industry. Another aspect that they share is how important their online presences are in their identity. This both invites fans into their lives, but also gives them the platform to share their stories. Lizzo is certainly an influential figure in our time that is doing a lot of good for the people that look up to her.
ReplyDeleteAnd I guess time will tell if she reaches Ghandi-like levels...
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DeleteLizzo's acknowledgement of the power that she holds as a popular creator is something that I admire about her. She chooses to use her voice and platform to be positive and is relatable in a way that many creators still struggle with, even in the age of second by second updates.
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