Two years after its initial release, Lizzo's pop bop "Truth Hurts" [1] has hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart [2]. That's right — two years after it officially dropped. Thanks to its feature [3] in the Netflix rom-com Someone Great [4] in April, and the ever-growing band of Lizzo [5] stans (which the 31-year-old singer and flutist [6] has dubbed the "Lizzbians" [7]), "Truth Hurts" has skyrocketed on the charts [8], making her the first black woman to hit No. 1 [9] in 2019.
Although it seems like Lizzo [10]'s stardom came out of nowhere, it's the product of hard work throughout the years [11]. And thanks to her consistent advocacy of self-love [12], body positivity, and not giving a single f*ck about haters, she's finally getting the recognition she deserves. Keep reading to reflect on Lizzo's amazing year of growth and success!
She rang in the new year with the "Juice" music video.
Lizzo [14] got 2019 off to a fun start with the premiere of her "Juice" video. Between the fun outfits and inspirational lyrics [15], she had everyone prepared to take on the new year with high hopes and unwavering confidence.
She got the crowd going with a performance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Was the audience fully prepared for this upbeat performance [16] in January? I think not!
Her music video for "Cuz I Love You" dropped in time for Valentine's Day.
In fact, the emotional video [17] hit YouTube on Valentine's Day — a much-appreciated gift for those who didn't have a significant other to spend the holiday with.
She recreated the flute scene from Anchorman.
After challenging Will Ferrell [18] to a jazz flute-off — referencing 2004's Anchorman — in November, Ferrell (well, the Twitter account for his character, Ron Burgundy) accepted two months later [19]. In March, Lizzo [20] officially tossed her hat flute in the competition by putting her own flair on the iconic Anchorman flute scene; and it was epic [21].
Her song with Missy Eilliot encouraged us to "f*ck it up to the tempo."
Lizzo and Missy Elliott dropped "Tempo" [22] in March, and we haven't been the same since.
Her Cuz I Love You tour kicked off on the West Coast.
Shortly after releasing Cuz I Love You, Lizzo [23] started her tour at a jam-packed concert in San Francisco.
She dropped jaws and broke necks at the Met Gala. . .
Truly, no one could pull off this pink feathery Marc Jacobs ensemble [24] like Lizzo [25]. She definitely showed up and showed out at the May event.
. . . Then she proceeded to wear her Met Gala coat to the airport.
When she said, "BYE B*TCH YOU THINK IM TAKIN OFF THIS @MARCJACOBS COAT," we felt that [26].
She graced the cover of Essence, looking absolutely ethereal.
Speaking to Essence for its May issue [27], Lizzo [28] told the magazine, "I love creating shapes with my body, and I love normalizing the dimples in my butt or the lumps in my thighs or my back fat or my stretch marks. I love normalizing my Black-ass elbows. I think it's beautiful."
In an interview with NPR, she talked about what self-care really means to her.
Lizzo [29] spoke candidly about self-care [30] and how she doesn't promote a "commercialised" version of it [31]. "I feel a responsibility as a pioneer in this wave of body positivity to push the narrative further," she told NPR in June. "I'm not even gonna get into it, but they're just saying, like, 'self-care is all facials and mimosas,' and there are people using the term 'body positivity' but still posting, like, really gorgeous glamour shots. And I get it. That's fine. Everyone deserves to speak on it, everyone deserves to have ownership of their body positivity. But I'm not just gonna settle for that anymore. I think that there's something to emotions and vulnerability and expressing those emotions in a more vulnerable way to yourself that I think we haven't tapped into."
Her Sister Act Tribute at the MTV Movie & TV Awards was a moment to remember.
Not only did Lizzo look gorgeous [32] on the red carpet at the June event, but her Sister Act-inspired performance [33] left viewers inn complete awe.
Lizzo continued to dominate award show performances at the BET Awards.
Lizzo [34] even got a standing ovation from Rihanna [35] after she nailed a staging of "Truth Hurts" at the BET Awards in June. And that flute solo [36]? Chills.
She revealed her role in the movie Hustlers.
Lizzo [37] will star alongside Jennifer Lopez [38], Constance Wu, Lili Reinhart, Cardi B, Keke Palmer, and other big-name celebrities [39] in the stripper saga Hustlers [40], which hit theatres on Sept. 13. Lizzo first teased her flute-playing character, Liz, back in July.
She and Missy Elliott went pitty-pat in the "Tempo" music video.
July saw the release of Lizzo [41] and Missy Elliott's "Tempo" music video, and we dare you to get through it without twerking.
She got honest about wanting to star as the next Bachelorette.
Lizzo [42] certainly wouldn't mind starring in ABC's The Bachelorette [43], under one condition. "It would be mandatory to get my p*ssy eaten at least once on the whole season, and it would have to be filmed," she told Cosmopolitan in July [44]. "It can be blurred, but I would want the people to know. The kids gotta learn someday."
NPR's Tiny Desk series got the Lizzo treatment.
In July, Lizzo [45] also took over NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series [46] with live renditions of "Cuz I Love You," "Truth Hurts," and "Juice," giving listeners major goosebumps.
She linked up with Megan Thee Stallion for a Black Girl Magic moment.
Lizzo [47]'s August Instagram video of her playing the Ying Yang Twins' "Bounce That A**" on the flute [48] while Megan Thee Stallion twerks is a moment for the culture — now and forevermore.
She delivered an inspirational message during her VMAs performance.
Aside from glowing on the red carpet [49] in a beautiful Moschino dress [50] and having a bedazzled bottle of tequila, Lizzo [51] stunned at the MTV VMAs in August with powerful performance of "Good as Hell" and "Truth Hurts [52]." Amid the staging, she took time to speak to the audience and encourage viewers. "I'm tired of the bullsh*t and I don't have to know your story to know that you're tired of the bullsh*t too," she said. "It's so hard trying to love yourself in a world that doesn't love you back, am I right? So I want to take this opportunity right now to just feel good as hell! Because you deserve to feel good as hell!"
Lizzo shared why she doesn't like to be called "brave" for having confidence.
Some might call Lizzo [53] brave for embracing her figure and being confident [54], but she isn't too fond of that. In an August interview with Glamour, the singer talked about the patronising characterisation of plus-size women who love their curves [55]. "When people look at my body and be like, 'Oh my God, she's so brave,' it's like, 'No I'm not,'" Lizzo [56] said. "I'm just fine. I'm just me. I'm just sexy. If you saw Anne Hathaway [57] in a bikini on a billboard, you wouldn't call her brave. I just think there's a double standard when it comes to women. I don't like it when people think it's hard for me to see myself as beautiful. I don't like it when people are shocked that I'm doing it."
She got Beyoncé's stamp of approval at the Made in America festival.
In September, Lizzo [58] performed at JAY-Z's Made in America music festival [59] in Philadelphia where Beyoncé watched on the sideline. If you have Queen Bey's support, you're pretty much set for life.
She secured her first-ever No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart with "Truth Hurts."
Lizzo [60] celebrated her first-ever No. 1 [61] as "Truth Hurts" reached the very top of Billboard's Hot 100 chart [62] in September. Her achievement also made her the first black woman to hit No. 1 [63] in 2019. "WE DID IT LIZZBIANS," she tweeted.
