Last week, musician Lizzo appeared to announce her departure from the entertainment world, causing much speculation and concern among fans. However, Lizzo took to social media on Tuesday to clarify her statement, explaining that her declaration of quitting was targeted at the negativity she was grappling with, not her music and creativity.
“I mean to state that I’m no longer going to pay heed to negative energies when I say I’m quitting,” the recipient of four Grammy awards clarified. She further affirmed her commitment to her passion, which is to make music and connect with people. Lizzo made it clear that she is not alone in dealing with these negative undertones, stating, “It’s not only me who hears the negative voices that seem louder than the positive ones.”
Lizzo’s Tuesday clarification comes after a March 29th post where she expressed her frustration over her image being the butt of jokes and being negatively judged by many, both online and offline. Wanting only to create music, spread happiness, and make the world a bit better, the singer, born Melissa Jefferson, admitted she felt the world didn’t want her in it.
Having gained national recognition in the late 2010s after releasing hits like ‘Juice’ and ‘Good as Hell’, Lizzo has been hailed as a muse of body positivity, due to her unapologetic size and wardrobe choices. However, this also opened her up to fat-shaming and ridicule online. In May 2023, a barrage of body-shaming comments led her to make her Twitter account private, conjecturing she might bow out from the music industry.
In a recent Instagram post, Lizzo responded to her detractors, pictured on stage holding a placard that stated: “Apologies for the poor quality of individuals on Twitter. You’re exceptional and stunning.” She expressed her frustration in the post’s caption, highlighting how challenging society makes it for overweight people to exist unapologetically. She conjectured how social media might be if comments were rationed, suggesting that people might be more discerning with their words.
Simultaneously, Lizzo is embroiled in a legal dispute as she faces accusations from three past dancers. These accusations encompass sexual harassment, racial unsavouriness and the creation of a threatening working atmosphere. Lizzo’s request to have these allegations dismissed was refused by a judge in February.
In addition, a second lawsuit was filed against her last September by a previous costume designer who claims she was the victim of harassment of both the sexual and racial kind, in a work environment tainted by lewd behaviour. Lizzo has recommended that this case be thrown out, although the verdict remains undecided.
Contrary to all these charges and persistent adverse remarks online, Lizzo’s professional pursuits continue to thrive. Her accolades include securing four Grammy awards and an Emmy for her part in the reality programme Watch Out for the Big Grrrls. She had the privilege of performing the introductory soundtrack in the Barbie film from last summer. Despite everything, she still shares photographs and videos of herself, showcasing swimwear and body-shaping attire from her brand Yitty, which is a collaboration with Fabletics. – Guardian.