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Rising Star

Who is Lizzo? The singer and rapper who jams on the flute and works with the Kardashians

The woman responsible for some serious bangers.

TWO YEARS AGO, a self-love anthem of the ages was released and catapulted one singer onto the radar of hundreds of thousands of new fans.

Lizzo’s ‘Good As Hell’ was featured in TV shows, movies and on an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race, solidifying its status as an absolute banger.

Lizzo Music / YouTube

Since then, the Detroit singer has revealed that she is much more than just a one-hit wonder.

Last year, the star went viral when she posted a video of herself playing the flute at the University of Iowa’s homecoming, saying:

“Have you ever seen a bitch play flute then hit the shoot?”

The video has since gotten over half a million views online and encouraged the singer to make her flute solos a regular part of her live performance.

The 30-year-old musician has been playing the flute for 20 years since her days in her high school’s marching band and even went to college on a music scholarship as a result.

Her flute has become such a huge part of her fame that she even created an Instagram account just for it called @SashaBeFluting.

Lizzo got an early break after she tweeted about wanting to work with producer Lazerbeak.

According to Teen Vogue, amazingly, he responded and asked for payment only in the form of Mike’s Hard Lemonade and later, helped her release her first studio album, Lizzobangers.

Lizzo, real name Melissa Jefferson, did not set out to be a singer though, she went into the business focused on a rap career.

But when she was working on her song Worship, her producer told her that the song needed vocals, so she sang and has been ever since.

Lizzo Music / YouTube

Since then, Lizzo has become a champion of body-positivity and a huge star in the LGBTQ community.

Yes, the singer has made appearances at Pride Festivals around the world and says when it comes to her own sexuality that she ‘doesn’t ascribe to just one thing’.

“That’s why the colours for LGBTQ are a rainbow – there’s a spectrum.”

She’s become known for her wild performances that include a group of back-up dancers called ‘The Big Grrrls’, her famous flute-playing skills and, of course, twerking – something those who’ve seen her support Florence + The Machine and Haim might have witnessed on their tours.  

Last week, the singer introduced her music to a whole new audience after taking to the stage on Ellen to perform her new single, Juice

Again, her fluting skills made an appearance and got everyone talking. 

Since the video was posted on YouTube, her performance has been viewed over half a million times. 

TheEllenShow / YouTube

Shortly after her performance, Lizzo revealed a brand campaign she had been a part of but some of her longtime fans weren’t happy about it. 

Last week, she shared a picture alongside Khloe Kardashian for a campaign with Good America, Khloe’s clothing line. 

She captioned the post, “Just call me Glowy Kardashian”, a caption that has since been deleted. 

“I appreciate Lizzo wanting to show girls out there that they are worthy of love and acceptance,” wrote one fan, “but I def think there are other brands/platforms she could do that with.”

Just hours after she posted the campaign image, Lizzo returned to her Instagram to respond to some of the negativity.

And instead of fighting back, she opened the discussion and her comment section to respond to her fans’ concerns about the campaign. 

“This is your allotted post to put all of your outrage and/or questions about my Good America post,” she captioned a backstage shot from the shoot.

“I’ll respond to everyone here but after that, let’s move forward because we’ve got an industry to change and I don’t need no negativity on my shit.”

Many fans commented on the Kardashians continued cultural appropriation in campaigns for their many brands. 

“Khloe has been complicit in co-opting the culture of black women for her own monetary gain and fame,” one follower wrote. 

“Khloe and her family use black bodies as props when it suits their brand.”

Just days later and Lizzo’s fans have forgotten all about the GA campaign after the singer shared pictures from her cover shoot with New York magazine’s The Cut.

Over 150,000 people have double-tapped on the stunning shots which include one double page spread of her backside – seriously. 

Regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of her music (refer back to ‘Good As Hell’), it’s hard not to support what Lizzo is championing – body-positivity, confidence and individuality. 

Her third studio album, Cuz I Love You, is due to be released on April 19. 

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