Lizzo is a woman on the rise. Although the flamboyant singer with the voluptuous curves and bold outfits has been on the scene for years, she’s just now getting the recognition she deserves. In fact, her latest “Cuz I Love You” has recently climbed the charts and taken the No. 1 spot on iTunes. It’s an impressive feat but one that came from hard work. As she declared early on into her show at the Warfield in San Francisco last night, “You got to get through some shit, to get some shit.”
If you’re not familiar with Lizzo at this point, you must be living under a rock. The Houston native started her career as a rapper but has since transformed into a body-positive soul sister capable of pretty much anything that she sets her mind to; including a string of hit singles, among them “Boys,” which was recently named one of the 10 Best Songs of 2018 by Time Magazine.
And as you can guess all this attention has been good to Lizzo’s self-image. Her confidence is infectious to be around. Surrounded by a group of plus size dancers called the Big Girls, the powerhouse vocalist twirls around the stage throwing her impressive mane around and pushing anyone that gets in her way. Her style is raw, but the funk and groove of her music call for it.
What is unique about this talent is her ability to create an untamed feeling of frenzy from her audience as she sings and dances onstage, spreading her message of self-love and empowerment for the world to hear. Her beats are bangin’ and the songs are catchy but meaningful. There’s a message in Lizzo’s music and one that the world is ready to accept.
The only thing missing for me from the performance was a backup band. For music that grooves so hard it feels like a necessity. The size limitations of the stage may have had something to do with it, but the lack of live instruments left a lot to be desired. Although, I have a feeling that for her next performance at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in October, we’ll be seeing a much larger production from this rising star
Photos by Louis Raphael
