Lizzo claps back at haters with Rumors
Lizzo is no stranger to outrageous rumors.
In a virtual interview with select Southeast Asian press ahead of her music comeback last Aug. 13, the Grammy-winning and platinum-selling American singer-rapper touched on the rumors being spread about her — and well, by Lizzo herself.
According to the 33-year-old, there’s talk that her butt — which she flaunts in body-positive posts or booty-baring outfits but has often been a target of body-shaming — has been “insured for a million dollars.” It’s one rumor that she doesn’t mind going wild and free.
“I kind of like that, I think. Let us let everyone think that it’s true. Because this a** is priceless,” said the Truth Hurts and Good As Hell hitmaker.
Another crazy rumor was one she started — the recent fake pregnancy news she posted on TikTok, with Chris Evans being tagged as the baby daddy.
“We are having a little America,” she joked. It quickly went viral, especially as the Captain America star himself found it so funny and played along.
And looks like Lizzo plans to “magnify” the rumor when she returns to the concert scene in September. The songstress makes history as the first woman to headline the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee, US. She said she definitely has a mouthful to say when she comes face-to-face with a live audience for the first time since her last public performance in February 2020.
“There’s so much to say because the last two years have just been so drastic, dramatic and transformative, so I don’t really know yet (what to say exactly). But it probably will have to do with me being pregnant with Chris Evans’ child,” she mused.
What Lizzo is more than happy to confirm as true and correct are rumors she’s back with brand-new music to present her “new era b**ch” self, starting off with the song titled as, what else but, Rumors.
It’s the first batch of fresh releases since her 2019 album Cuz I Love You, and coming off from a successful year 2020 that saw her winning three Grammys for Truth Hurts (Best Pop Solo Performance), Jerome (Best Traditional R&B performance) and Cuz I Love You (Best Urban Contemporary Album). Truth Hurts was also the longest-running No. 1 song by a solo female rap artist in history after staying seven weeks atop the Billboard charts.
Meanwhile, Rumors features rapper Cardi B. “I’ve been a fan of Cardi B and her social media presence for years. She’s so funny, and she’s so smart. And I was like, she’s too cool for me. And we met a few times at, you know, little parties and stuff. And every time we met, it was always so much love. And I was like, you know what, one of these days we’re gonna collaborate,” Lizzo shared.
“When we wrote Rumors, it was the obvious choice, like finally, this is the perfect track for me and Cardi B to talk our sh*t on and so really just, you know, let these people know that these rumors don’t mean nothing to us.”
Here are more excerpts from our roundtable chat with TIME Magazine’s 2019 Entertainer of the Year, where she proved to be equal parts funny and real.
On the inspiration behind her new single Rumors:
“Well, my inspiration was basically having the opportunity to clap back and own all the things that people have to say about me on social media. I just feel like, I’m subject to so much public opinion. And, you know, a lot of times I can’t say or respond the way that I want to respond. So, I decided to put it all in the music. And what better way to clap back than in a hit song.”
On the most challenging part of writing the new song (feat. Cardi B):
“I think one of the biggest challenges with Rumors was we had too many lines. Like the first version of the song didn’t have the feature. It was just me and it was two verses, and I had all these lines and things I wanted to say. Eventually, when we added Cardi B, you know, there were things I was like, okay, I gotta cut this, I gotta cut this. And that was hard because every lyric was like my baby. That was hard to do. But yeah, I think that was the hardest part. We just had too much to talk about.”
On the secret to her being on the charts for the past two years:
“I think the secret sauce was just me. I am the secret sauce. I am the special sauce. Because you know, I put 1,000 percent of who I am into the music, into the production, into the lyrics and into the songs. And I mean, this new era of music is going to be no different. Like, I’m going to say what’s on my mind and on my heart. We’ve had a very transformative two years as a people, and it would be impossible for me to not reflect the times and speak on it. So yeah, I’m going to get real. But I also love making music that feels good. So you’re going to get the classic, uplifting music that you know I love.”
On the biggest difference between the “new era” Lizzo and the previous one:
“I think the biggest difference, believe it or not, is confidence. I think I am so much more confident on this album, or this project that I’m going to put out. I think on (the third and last album) Cuz I Love You, I was seeking confidence. I was striving to be more confident and you can hear it a lot in the music where it’s like, you know, I’m writing about the bad b**ch that I want to be. But now, I am that b**ch and I am living as her, and so the songs are way more confident.”
On her ultimate goals as a music artist:
“I will say my No. 1 goal has always been to touch people and to help people. My music has helped me. I’ve been using music as therapy since I was 20 years old, you know, as a writer. My only hope or goal is that somebody can hear something I wrote and feel better by the end of it. I like to make feel-good music. And also my dream has always been to write a song that the whole world could sing together. So we’re going to see if everyone’s gonna be singing Rumors.
“(Will you be seeing more of my personality in my upcoming music?) Absolutely. You think an artist’s personality can fit into one song (laughs)? I have so many songs I’m so excited for the world to hear, but I got to make sure I put together the perfect album. It’s been way too long since I’ve dropped music so I don’t want to drop the wrong thing. We’re being very careful in choosing the best songs. I’ve written like 130-plus songs and they’re all filled with me.”
n hear something I wrote and feel better by the end of it. I like to make feel-good music. And also my dream has always been to write a song that the whole world could sing together. So we’re going to see if everyone’s gonna be singing Rumors.
“(Will you be seeing more of my personality in my upcoming music?) Absolutely. You think an artist’s personality can fit into one song (laughs)? I have so many songs I’m so excited for the world to hear, but I got to make sure I put together the perfect album. It’s been way too long since I’ve dropped music so I don’t want to drop the wrong thing. We’re being very careful in choosing the best songs. I’ve written like 130-plus songs and they’re all filled with me.”
- Latest
- Trending
