Lizzo is not here for stereotypes or being pigeonholed into one genre.
The ‘Truth Hurts’ artist took to social media earlier this morning to remind the world, “Yes I sing. Yes I rap. We exist.”
Lizzo is a multi-talented artist: not only is she a singer, songwriter and rapper, but she’s also an actress and is well-known for being a classically trained flautist. So when people suggest she can only be a ‘singer’ or can only be a ‘rapper,’ I imagine it would be frustrating at best, and offensive at worst.
Sadly, Lizzo isn’t the only to black artist to be boxed into one genre. In 2011, Frank Ocean told the Quietus, “if you’re a singer and you’re black, you’re an R&B artist.”
FKA Twigs shared the same sentiment in a 2014 interview with The Guardian. “When I first released music and no one knew what I looked like, I would read comments like, ‘I’ve never heard anything like this before, it’s not a genre,” she said.
“And then my picture came out six months later, now she’s an R&B singer.”
In a 2017 feature for Pitchfork, Briana Younger wrote, “‘R&B’ or ‘rap’ have become catch-all descriptors for many black artists.”
“Essentially, genre terms can now be used to create modern-day race records: music defined on who it’s made by and supposedly for, and who it’s distinctly not,” she added.
Over the course of her career, Lizzo has made a conscious effort not to conform to any stereotype – from her music to her sexuality. In an interview with Teen Vogue last year, she said, “when it comes to sexuality or gender, I personally don’t ascribe to just one thing.”
“I cannot sit here right now and tell you I’m just one thing,” she said. “That’s why the colours for LGBTQ+ are a rainbow! Because there’s a spectrum and right now we try to keep it black and white. That’s just not working for me.”
Kudos to Lizzo, and other artists, for breaking down the tired stereotypes and proving that in 2019 and beyond, labels are harmful and you should be able to pursue any avenue you desire.