You may not yet know Lizzo , the Detroit-born goddess of rap, flute, and R&B, but the truth is, she’s been making music for a while. She has released albums and EPs; she’s worked with legends, she’s gone viral. You may have come across one of the many widely shared Twitter videos of her in which she effervescently mocks her haters for thinking she can’t play the flute; this is an example:
Although Lizzo is not new to music, what is certain is that in 2019 she is finally on the cusp of stardom: she started the year by dropping an incredible single with Juice, which is perhaps the most fun and vivacious single. of the year so far.
1. Cuz I Love You
“I start every project I do with a big orchestral moment with a brass section. And I mean for a MOMENT. It’s my way of saying: Fuck, get up! Lizzy is here!” This is how Lizzo herself described the powerful theme that opens the album with Apple Music , a vintage Motown beat assembled with electronic sounds, an electric guitar, all the metal of a big band and Lizzo ‘s overwhelming voice , which will provoke you to put it to the test. full volume every time you listen to it.
2.Like a Girl
Beginning with a trap beat that evolves into a 100% pop chorus with synths slipping past our ears, Lizzo puts a twist on the often derogatory phrase “like a girl”. “Serena Williams plays like a girl and she’s the best athlete on the planet, you know? And what if crying was empowering rather than debilitating? Also, the song has a reference to non-binary people, queer people, men who can feel feminine, drag queens, everyone: If you feel like like a girl/Then you real like a girl.
3.Juice
“If you only hear one song from Cuz I Love You , let it be this. It’s a banger, obviously, but it’s also a state of mind. At the end of the day, I want my music to make people feel good. I want it to help people love themselves.” And wow, Lizzo achieves it in Juice , which in addition to inviting us to move our bodies, makes us do it in front of the mirror while we tell ourselves how rich we are.
4.Soulmate
With the rhythm of a New Orleans bounce, Lizzo continues to bring us empowerment through self-esteem with Soulmate , where she talks about all her ex-partners, and how really the only person you have to love your whole life to be truly happy is her. same. Preach!
5.Jerome
“What I love about this song is that it’s modern. It is about the love of fuccbois. There aren’t enough songs about it. There are so many songs about fairy tale love and unrequited love, but there are not many songs about fuccbois love. That story needed to be told.” Thus, Lizzo introduces us to Jerome , the guy who only looks for you when he needs to get into bed: the one who never calls, the one who doesn’t want a relationship and only appears by magic when he’s interested and calls you “my queen”. That’s Jerome .
6.Cry Baby
With an emotional, intense and, above all, sincere power ballad, Cry Baby tells us about the best part of love: when we are so immersed in it without knowing it, and when we realize it, it surpasses us. This is how Lizzo explains it : “The lyrics are a direct anecdote from my life: I was sitting in a car with a guy, in a little red Corvette from the 80s (no, it wasn’t Prince) and I was crying. But it was not because she was sad, but because she loved him.
7. Tempo (Ft. Missy Elliott)
After drying our tears, the album continues taking us directly to the dance floor with a collaboration by Missy Elliott where what really matters is self-acceptance, without caring about those extra kilos, because according to Lizzo , the juiciest girls they need songs like this, where they can move their asses freely and as they should.
8. Exactly How I Feel (Ft. Gucci Mane)
The title of this song is literally what it promises: it’s about being proud of your emotions, without feeling like you have to hide or fake them. Gucci Mane ‘s appearance came after Lizzo played the song to some executives from his record label and made a joke thanking them for getting the rapper for the song. In the end, they got their wish.
9. Better in Color
Lizzo says that the nerdiest song on the record is simply a declaration of freedom so that we can love whomever we want regardless of what society dictates. “I wanted to talk about love and attraction and sex without talking about those boxes that we put those things in, who we feel like we’re allowed to be in love with, you know? It doesn’t matter gender, sexual orientation, skin color or economic background, because who cares about that shit. Spice up life, love is better in colors.”
10. Heaven Help Me
Sounding like Aretha Franklin made a rap record, Heaven Help Me takes us through Russian roulette. “It is a journey through the entire spectrum of my romantic emotions. It starts like, ‘I’m too pretty for you, boo, stay away from me’ to ‘What’s wrong with me? Why do I scare men away?’ And then, finally, the vulnerability comes, like, ‘I’m crying and I’ve been thinking about you.’
11.Lingerie
The Cuz I Love You album ends by turning up the heat with a banger to start stripping in your favorite place, but in your best underwear. Transparent, if possible. Almost moaning with pleasure like a Donna Summer in Love To Love You Baby , Lizzo tells us where and how she likes it, but most of all, she leaves us wanting more. As it should be.
