Musicheads Essential Artist: Lizzo
February 05, 2021
Known for her powerhouse vocals, charismatic raps, and uplifting performances, Lizzo has emerged as a leading voice in her body-positive generation.
Born in Detroit, raised in Houston, and having spent her formative musical years in Minneapolis, Lizzo got her first big break when Prince spotted her on the local TV news and tapped her to perform on his album PLECTRUMELECTRUM along with her bandmates in the hip-hop trio The Chalice.
Although her musical roots extend back to her days singing gospel music in the church in Detroit, it was in Minneapolis starting in 2012 that Lizzo first made a name for herself as a member of the groups The Chalice and GRRRL PRTY and launched her solo career. Working with Minneapolis producers like Lazerbeak and B.J. Burton and taking Prince's songwriting advice to heart that her lyrics should be positive above all else, Lizzo quickly emerged as a witty, clever, and versatile rapper and a singer with a penchant for dramatic runs and emotional wrenching melodies.
When Lizzo moved to Los Angeles in 2016, she began a new chapter of her career collaborating with high profile producer Ricky Reed and signing to Atlantic Records. After a series of singles, Lizzo found runaway success with the sleeper hit "Truth Hurts," which was initially released in 2017, but which found a new audience and climbed the charts two years later, when it was featured on the Netflix movie Someone Great, and in Lizzo's performances at the MTV Video Music Awards and BET Awards.
By the end of 2019, "Truth Hurts" had spent seven weeks in the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and Lizzo had racked up eight Grammy nominations for her debut full-length on Atlantic Records, Cuz I Love You.
On her way to becoming a household name, Lizzo has also been a meme generator, especially when it comes to her love for playing the flute. And she's become a fierce champion of the body-positive movement and an advocate for self care and self love. Lizzo has undeniably inspired a whole new generation of music fans.