Lizzo’s ‘Special’ is giving self-love and good vibes

Lizzo has been promoting her new album ‘Special’ on Instagram for what feels like forever. Having no other option but to play ‘Cuz I Love You’ on repeat whilst awaiting her fourth studio album when July 15 finally came around, Lizzo did not disappoint.

Easily becoming one of my favourite live performers, Lizzo has delivered the ultimate summer album. ‘Special’ is unskippable, and as she’s been home since 2020, you can see that when she wasn’t using lockdown to work on herself, she was working on this album.

‘Special’ tells a story from start to finish, and Lizzo has made it so you can share in all her growth by singing along to all her 12 incredibly catchy tracks. Single releases ‘About Damn Time’ and ‘Grrrls’ were simply the tip of the iceberg as Lizzo preaches how to put yourself at the centre of your universe and block out the noise of all the naysayers. Excuse the pun, but each track is more special than the last, and I am well on the way to making her ‘Special’ the soundtrack to my summer – playing alongside Beyonce’s Renaissance when that finally comes out in 9 days.

She brings that realness into every track and acts as that reassuring voice in your head that reminds you you’re special just as you are.

The opening track to any album is the make or break, and Lizzo’s opening track, ‘The Sign’, was the perfect setup for what followed. ‘The Sign’ gives you a personal insight into who Lizzo is as a person, what she values and emphasises just how relatable she is.

I’m not a huge fan of dance music because the lyrics are always so shallow. Although not every song on Lizzo’s album would fit into the dance genre, the ones that do show Lizzo bringing the Black back to the genre, with soul from her lyrics and beats you can’t possibly sit still to.

If you’re someone who struggles with self-image or self-perception, you should have ‘Special’ playing on repeat for the rest of the year. Lizzo’s realness doesn’t start and stop with her Instagram posts. She brings that realness into every track and acts as that reassuring voice in your head that reminds you you’re special just as you are.

If you’re looking for the sign to listen to ‘Special’, this is it. ‘About Damn Time’ may be a TikTok sensation but remember, Lizzo is no mere TikTok artist; she is an icon.

Photo credit: Raph_PH (Flickr)