America’s newest “Bop Star” Lizzo is quickly infecting the charts and your feed with nothing short of vibrant self-empowerment. But where did she come from and why is she such a powerhouse?

Even as a little girl, Melissa Jefferson always oozed energy and adored a good bop. She told Teen Vogue in 2018 that every morning before school, she’d blast her favorite hit in her room and choreograph an extensive routine in its entirety before catching her ride. As a self-proclaimed “chubby girl with funny teeth,” her bedroom concerts were only a foreshadowing of her shining pop-stardom. 

Lizzo might be an up-and-coming name in the charts, but at age 30, she’s an incredibly seasoned artist and musician. After moving away from her hometown in Houston, she lived in Minneapolis in 2011 where she began performing in an electro soul-pop duo known as Lizzo & Larva Ink. Soon after, she co-founded her first indie hip hop group called The Chalice. Besides Lizzo, the trio was made up of two other widely respected emcees, Sophia Eris and Claire de Lune, and together their sound drew influence from soul, funk, R&B, reggae, and hip-hop. The Chalice dropped their first album We Are The Chalice in 2012 and received local success.  In 2013, Lizzo and Sophia Eris teamed up again, this time with percussionist Hellion Manchita, to release music as Grrrl Prty. First Avenue described the group’s vibe as “a celebration of femininity and unsheathed swagger”, characteristics still ever-present in Lizzo’s music today.  

Finally, in 2013, her debut solo album Lizzobangers, produced by Lazerbeak and Ryan Olson, was released and found both regional and national acclaim. From there, she appeared on tracks with Bastille, Prince & 3rdEyeGirl, Clean Bandit, and more. In 2014, Time featured her as one of 14 musicians to watch that year. The following year, Lizzo founded her own label Big GRRRL Small World and released her second full-length album which shared the same name as her label and maintained her streak of positive reviews. 

In the fall of 2016, Lizzo debuted on a major-label with her Coconut Oil EP. She then released a number of singles such as “Water Me”, “Truth Hurts” (which was deemed “the ultimate self-confidence song” by sophomore Morgan Harris) and “Fitness” propelled her voice to a wider, hungry audience. Each single is a self-empowerment anthem, tackling topics such as freedom found in being your own inspiration, self-validating sexuality, and independence. Try not to dance to these songs, I dare you. 

Lizzo’s bright sound and unapologetic confidence are truly infectious to her audience. Growing up with body-image issues, she learned to accept herself and disregard societal norms. Hayley Scanlon, an Emerson senior, chimes in on the topic of body image saying, “There’s so much body shame, especially among women, and I think it’s great that Lizzo is combatting that and setting a great example for young girls”.  Lizzo’s priority is to create feel-good music that inspires her listeners to celebrate themselves. In her 2018 smash single “Juice”, she proclaims, “If I’m shining, everybody gonna shine”. 

Parker Sacavitch, an Emerson freshman and fan of Lizzo’s tells me, “The first time I ever really listened to Lizzo was right after my breakup. I had heard some of her songs before but I wasn’t really a huge fan until I needed a song that would boost me up and make me feel better”. She adds, “She is girl empowerment to the extreme, like she thinks she’s hot shit and every else just has to deal with it. She plays flute, talks unapologetically about sexuality and blackness and she’s an extremely witty songwriter.

In “Scuse Me”, Lizzo “feels herself”, attributing her heavenly glow to her beautiful thick figure and in “Coconut Oil” she manifests healing for herself and her fans, singing, “don’t worry about the small things, I know I can do all things… all I needed was some coconut oil”. 

In a growing movement of female hip-hop artists spreading themes of self-love, personal agency, and independence from male opinions, Lizzo is a prominent figure. She shines as a figure of black excellence, body positivity, and womanly power, all while delivering her message through a lens of fun and freedom. “I cannot remember a woman since Missy Elliot that has represented plus size black women,” Harris says, “I love that her music isn’t about being plus size or about being black 24/7 it’s just about being her. She’s normalizing the presence of someone like her in the industry and I love that”. 

Lizzo’s next album, “Cuz I Love You” is set to release April 2019.