FEMINISM
The Lizzo Effect Love her, hate her or somewhere in between, there is no denying that Lizzo has taken the world by storm in what feels like it was over night. In the past year, Lizzo has been releasing hits such as ‘Juice’, ‘Truth Hurts’ and ‘Good as Hell (ft. Ariana Grande)’ that saw her launch into the mainstream music scene in 2019. However you view her music, there is no denying that Lizzo exuberates positivity and installs that into her fans a.k.a the Lizzo effect.
Growing up in the late 90s to mid 2000s, the ultimate black feminist icon was Beyoncé. She had the voice, the attitude and the look - she was a figure many people looked up to. Despite Beyoncé’s status as an icon, it was not until the last few years that Beyoncé wanted to associate with the term feminist. Fast forward to 2019, times have changed and Lizzo is by far the embodiment of a great role model for the young and old. She is a proud feminist.
Of course Lizzo is not the first female artist to preach acceptance. For example, Adele was very vocal about criticism she received about her weight and how this has no correlation to her talent, but Lizzo is an artist that does not conform to the stereotypical female pop singer that is ingrained in our society. She has created a larger than life persona that exuberates wit, charisma, authenticity and above all confidence.
The Lizzo effect can be seen across social media too. By publicly ‘shooting her shot’ on Twitter with Niall Horan, people can see that she has a sense of humour and encourages others to take a chance. This authenticity is refreshing because Lizzo illustrates the idea of ‘sameness’ - the idea that she is just like everybody else. The countless videos she posts of herself going about life or giving fans the real talk implies that she has nothing to hide nor is afraid to allow fans to see the trials and tribulations. By exposing herself, she is able to build trust with fans because they feel close to her, thus allowing them to believe in the positive messages that she conveys in her songs and in her everyday life. This is what I mean when I say it is the Lizzo effect.
The media is very quick to body shame Lizzo and label her as ‘unhealthy’ because of her weight. However, body mass and weight have no relation to healthiness. Lizzo works out; she delivers enthusiasm and can dance for hours when she is performing and singing. Not only does Lizzo blast out tunes, she is able to command a stage and put on one hell of a show for her audiences.
6
WORDS BY JO LISNEY
WESSEX SCENE
