From Lizzo to Julia Fox, stars share the Vanity Fair party vibe
See what the stars were saying at the Vanity Fair party, from Lizzo saying she thought it was “awesome” to Julia Fox saying it was her best work yet.
Video Team – USA TODAY Entertainment
After a soothing whoosh of strings, Lizzo gets down to business.
“Cheers to all the time I wasted and all the energy I put into these guys,” she sings in “Toast,” the opening track of her new album, Bitch, out now.
It’s been four years since outspoken singer-songwriter-born Melissa Jefferson released a new record, and the 12 songs on her latest effort show Lizzo living it up, digging deep, and having something to say.
She also expands on her signature fusion of R&B, hip-hop and pop, heard on hits “Good as Hell,” “Truth Hurts” and “About Dumb Time,” with elements of go-go music (“Sexy Ladies,” which samples the classic go-go track “Sexy Lady” by Washington D.C. heavyweights UCB) and sassy synth funk (“That GRRL”).
Lizzo’s cherished flute was highlighted in her jazz-flavored song “Too Nice,” and her first children’s book, “Lil Lizzo Meets Sasha B. Floatin,” to be released on September 8th, further emphasizes her love for the instrument by featuring a “smart brass flute” as the protagonist of an adventure story.
In a candid interview with USA TODAY, Lizzo, 38, spoke about the meaning behind her new album’s title, how she recovered from depression and the meaning of body positivity.
Question: Do you feel like you’re reintroducing yourself or redefining who Lizzo is with this album?
Lizzo: I don’t think you need to redefine yourself. I think this is about regaining yourself. A lot of my identity has been manipulated by people other than me, so this album is me reclaiming that. Show the Lizzo we all know and love, let her tell her side of the story, and just have her perform again.
Why was reclaiming the word “bitch” important to this album?
There’s a Katt Williams joke he told about me. “They’ll come for anyone. They’ll come after Lizzo, and she’s fine, but it just proves it. You may be fat, you may be black, but you can’t be fat, black bitch.” And I thought, “Oh, that’s the most realistic.” For example, God, you’re having a bad day, or God, you weren’t blessed with a rainbow or sunshine one day. Especially as a black woman in this industry and society, you’re going to be crucified. I wrote a song around that, interpolating a sample of Missy (Elliott’s “She’s a Bitch”) and Meredith (Brooks’ “Bitch”) on top of that. So it was like a bitch and bitch sandwich.
You also said that you changed the title of the album from “Love in Real Life” and changed the tone from softer to bolder. Why was that important?
It was very intentional. In recent years, the world has changed significantly, not only politically, but also emotionally and psychologically. I had to change accordingly. Artists don’t project what the world should be, we reflect the world as it is. We are now in a time of conflict. So I’m fighting for myself, and the energy of this album comes from that.
The album still has some humor, like “Whose Hair Is This?” It has a great kicker.
That was the last song I wrote for the album. (Laughs) Yes, that really happened. I was stunned by the hair I found, then realized it was from a wig I had worn. I thought this was very interesting. I had to put that in the song because it’s something I can relate to. It felt like there was no reason to stumble even though I was stumbling.
You were open about going through some dark times a few years ago. How did you get to the point where you could write a song like “Happy to Be”?
That’s a very good question. Because I don’t think you write happy songs when you’re happy. When I’m trying to be happy, I write happy songs. I wrote that song when I was searching for gratitude. I remember thinking, “I’m not feeling this.” And then I had a vision of myself singing that to my fans in the audience. I was moved to tears, and at that moment I realized what it felt like to be grateful. It ended up reminding myself of where I had been and where I was going. And that I have fans who can help me find joy again.
You were always yourself in public. Has that changed?
I am more protective of myself now. Choose what you want to share and how you want to share it. I am an oversharer by nature. Enter the content without posting. (Laughs) But I learned that with the internet, you don’t have to think about everything in your head. Now I have boundaries and everything I share is on my terms.
Does the change stem from a desire to avoid backlash?
It doesn’t even matter what people say back to me. I don’t really care about that. It’s a question of responsibility. There are people who are counting on me, my family, and my team. There’s too much to lose. So I learned how to protect my heart and mind.
Messages about body positivity have also evolved. How does it look now?
It evolved before my body evolved. Because I knew my body was going to change, whether it was getting bigger, smaller, getting older, whatever. Body positivity originally meant “we deserve to exist,” especially for people who have been erased from media and culture. But people have changed the definition. Therefore, I will not subscribe to new versions. What I always try to do is create space for everyone, not just one type of body.
It’s like the goalposts keep moving.
Yeah, body positivity just means fat. That’s not true. Body positivity was a movement that was started by people who were in the disability community, the plus size community, the indigenous people, the queer community, the transgender community, and it was about, “Hey, we deserve to exist.” We have been erased from culture, media, and society. And we’re just saying we have a right to exist and be happy about it.
You recently did a series of jazz club shows that were very different from arenas. What do you get out of such a performance?
Freedom. There are 20,000 spectators in the arena and a large crew, and everything has to be accurate. You can’t just say, “Let’s try it right away.” Jazz clubs allow you to bend and show different sides of your musicality. It’s more intimate. You can feel the audience in a different way. But that’s how I ended up playing in small rooms for 50 people. So it’s not new to me. It’s a return to my roots.
It’s interesting that you say that. Because so many new artists seem to bypass this hill and go straight to the arena.
There are now an unprecedented number of (expletive) arena tours going on at once. So I’m adding to the conflict.
Yes, but that’s different. You paid your dues.
It’s different because I’ve had touring fans for 10 years and they love coming to our shows. However, there are some famous people on TikTok who are still doing arena shows a year after the games. And I feel like that jump changed a lot of things. It changed the quality of the show, the quality of the showman. It’s also like, “Oh, you were supposed to open for someone in the arena first.” …I’m not denying it, but I’ve toured and built a fan base. Like Tina Turner, I’m still going to do this when I’m 70.
There are also children’s books published. What do you want children to learn from it?
It’s about trusting yourself and believing in who you are. The character goes on this adventure trying to find her identity in different places, but she realizes that it was inside her all along. We also want our children to be excited about music, playing instruments, and being creative. That saved me when I was younger. And to be honest, I just want to have fun. I want to be able to feel the music on the page.
