Over the past couple of months, Lizzo has not only climbed the ladder of fame, but has also captured the hearts of millions of people who adore her music, presence, and personality. Between her humorous social media posts, impressive musical talents, and public mantras of self-love, she is one of the most likable people in today’s media. Lizzo has come into several different industries defying societal standards and spreading positive messages regarding body positivity, self-love, and mental health.
One of the most obvious talents Lizzo has to offer is her musical talent. Not only has she brought a gentle and delicate-sounding instrument, such as the flute, into the pop genre, but she also has preached self-love mantras at popular award shows and music festivals. Take her 2019 performance at the Glastonbury music festival for example. As the beginning notes of her hit song “Good As Hell” played in the background, Lizzo made a speech in which she preached the importance of loving yourself and how feeling confident in your own skin can allow you to achieve more than you believed you could. After telling her audience to go home and tell themselves they are beautiful while looking in the mirror, she explains how she believes “we can save the world if we save ourselves first.” She proceeded by having the audience repeat these self-love mantras to not only themselves but people around them while also creating an overall safe and loving environment.
In some of her speeches, she is transparent about her own self-love struggles and admits that she is not perfect. This in itself opens a new door to mental health awareness with celebrities, as social media has made us so inclined to believe that all celebrities’ lives are perfect. By Lizzo being so open about her mental health struggles, her audience has the opportunity to feel seen and validated. Although I was not present at that festival, I was one of four million viewers of the Youtube video and I still felt every word she preached. This isn’t the only musical
performance Lizzo has included these reassuring speeches. She has used basically every opportunity she is presented to repeat these mantras and spread these empowering reminders. I encourage everyone to watch any of her performances because it not only gives you the words of encouragement you’ve been searching for, but also a loving, virtual hug from Lizzo herself.
Along with her empowering speeches and musical talents in her performances, Lizzo gives us something that I believe has never been done in the music industry: having all plus-size backup dancers. Finally some representation of bigger bodies without the harmful stereotypes attached to them! Additionally, Lizzo’s new Emmy award-winning series titled “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” gives plus-size dancers the opportunity to freely express themselves through dance without the harmful stereotypes restricting them.
Aside from her musical talents and inclusion within her performances, Lizzo has stormed the fashion industry making a huge impact on the way society perceives fashion. In April of 2022, Lizzo created a line of shapewear that catered to all body types. Upon scrolling through the official Yitty website, several body types are featured in the pictures wearing different types of Yitty shapewear. A section called “Styled by Yitty: Collections for every body” features what appear to be TikToks of Yitty customers trying on and fashioning their Yitty pieces. This allows potential customers to witness normal people with several body types trying on and styling Yitty products. Lastly, something I have personally never seen before in the fashion industry is Lizzo presentation of the available sizes of her collection. Instead of the traditional sizing being the smallest size to the largest size, Lizzo’s collection features sizing from 6X to XS. This in itself shakes up the way in which we perceive larger sizing while also making this collection have one of the biggest size ranges.
Personally, Lizzo has really had a great impact on my life. Growing up, I never saw myself on an award show stage or in the fashion industry, which deeply affected the way I perceived myself and my definition of beauty. Since Lizzo’s break out with her hit song “Truth Hurts,” I finally saw someone who represented young women like myself and heard what I have wanted to hear my entire twenty years of life: I am beautiful. Lizzo’s musical talents and business ventures are not the only things that make her great. Her self-love reminders and the safe and loving environment she creates is something we all need and deserve, especially in the world we live in today. In the words of Lizzo “It’s About Damn Time,” we had a role model who celebrates all body types, includes representation in everything she does, shows the world that sometimes being not okay is okay, and creates a positive environment for all to be whoever they want to be.