Enrichment Arts & Culture

Music star Lizzo breaks down over racist and fat-shaming slurs

Story at a glance:

  • Lizzo cried on an Instagram Live on Sunday in response to body shaming and racist comments.
  • “I’m not making music for white people, I’m not making music for anybody. I’m a black woman making music,” the singer said.
  • The pop singer said she was going to only “focus on the positive comments.”

Lizzo cried on an Instagram Live on Sunday after revealing that some of the racist and body-shaming comments got to her in the days after the artist’s latest song, featuring Cardi B, dropped. 

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“Sometimes I feel like the world just don’t love me back. It’s like, it doesn’t matter how much positive energy you put into the world. You’re still going to have people who have something mean to say about you,” Lizzo, 33, said on Sunday.

“I just feel like I’m seeing negativity directed towards me in the most weirdest way, like, people saying s–t about me that just doesn’t even make sense. It’s fatphobic and it’s racist and it’s hurtful.”


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The artist, whose legal name is Melissa Jefferson, said she is grateful to have worked with Cardi B, whose legal name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, and Atlantic Records to unveil their latest song, “Rumors,” which was released on Friday, Aug. 13.

But some online trolls responded to the newest music video, which features Cardi B and Lizzo in Greco-roman costumes, with fatphobic and racist comments .

“For the people who are just always going to have something negative to say about me that’s nothing to do with music, or content of my character, or me as an artist, and just have everything to do with my body or whatever trope you think I fall into, suck my p—- from behind ’cause y’all motherf—ers gonna be the main ones catching up,” said the 33-year-old.


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In response to criticism about the song, Lizzo said, “I’m not making music for white people, I’m not making music for anybody. I’m a black woman making music. I make black music, period.”

“I’m not serving anyone but myself. Everyone is invited to a Lizzo show, to a Lizzo song, to this good energy. Everyone’s invited,” she added. “I’m doing this shit for the big black women in the future who just want to live their lives without being scrutinized or put into boxes. I’m not gonna do what y’all want me to do, ever, so get used to it. But what I will do is make great music and be a great artist and continue to uplift people and uplift myself.”

Cardi B and other artists came to Lizzo’s defense online. 

Ultimately, Lizzo said she was going to only “focus on the positive comments.” 

“I don’t have time for your negativity, your internalized self-hatred that you project onto me with your racism and your fat-phobia. I don’t have time for it,” she said. “Anyways, Imma continue to be me. Imma continue to be a bad b—- … ’bout to go to some bad b—- s—. ‘Bout to go make some bad b—- money, and y’all stream ‘Rumors.’”

Later, she posted a photo on Instagram with the caption, “”Sometimes I get sad… and then I— “


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