Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Lizzo at the 2021 Grammy Awards
Lizzo at the 2021 Grammy Awards
Photo by Francis Specker / CBS
Towson | Culture > Entertainment

Singer Lizzo sparks controversy after saying this about Britney Spears

Ineza Merci Student Contributor, Towson University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Towson chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

By Ineza Merci

In a recent interview on the ‘Sibling Rivalry’ podcast, “Juice” singer, Lizzo sparked some  controversy after suggesting that Britney Spears does a Janet Jackson impression. Lizzo referred to Janet Jackson as the “Queen of Pop”,” a title that is traditionally associated with Madonna and  noted that Spears herself acknowledged that Jackson was a big inspiration to her. This led to  angry fans calling Lizzo out after it seemed that the singer was downplaying Spears’ distinct  legacy. 

“Janet is her diva. There was no such thing as pop divas before Janet,” said Lizzo. Britney fans were quick to come to Spears’ defense, with one user on X who wrote, “Nobody thinks of THE Britney Spears as a Janet Jackson impersonator. She literally crafted her own  sound and imagery at 16…worry about your career lasting one summer…” Like the X user, many people have preached the same message. Spears is a trailblazer in her own  right, with a legacy that has stood independently for years. While some appreciated Lizzo’s  praise towards Jackson, they felt the framing of Lizzo’s statements was that of a dismissal  towards Spears’ impactful career. “Britney is literally Janet’s daughter, that’s a known FACT. Lizzo was weird for calling her a  Janet Jackson impersonator, but she wasn’t wrong for saying that Britney was influenced and  inspired by Janet” another user wrote. This entire drama just goes to show us how delicate—yet unserious for some, the discussion  surrounding legacies of cultural icons can be and how they can deeply resonate with long-time  fans of either Spears or Jackson.

Ineza Merci

Towson '25

Ineza is a Towson University alumna. She majored in Communication Studies as an introverted individual. Oh, the irony! Ineza views writing as a way to speak her mind, comfortably, without speaking out loud. As far as writing experience goes, before graduating high school, Ineza was a part of her school’s newspaper, titled “The Paw Print”. She got the chance to write Op-Eds, write about News, and Entertainment.

Ineza loves to indulge in all things Pop Culture. Including online trends, music, Beyonce (yes, she’s her own genre), and more! It’s important for Ineza to focus on what keeps her mind going and it has become important for Ineza to share what she enjoys with others.

When Ineza is not writing, she’ll most likely be watching cat videos, viewing her favorite gaming streamers, or napping. She’s an advocate of maintaining a balanced lifestyle filled with priorities, fun, and self-care. Things get hectic and writer’s block is real, but Ineza is excited to further strengthen her craft in writing with Her Campus.