Lizzo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lizzo
Lizzo performing in November 2019
Born	Melissa Viviane Jefferson (1988-04-27) April 27, 1988 (age 37) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Education	University of Houston
Occupation	Singer rapper songwriter actress
Years active	2011–present
Works	Discography
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Origin	Houston, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Hip-hop soul R&B funk-pop
Instruments	Vocals flute
Labels	TGNP Atlantic Nice Life BGSW

Melissa Viviane Jefferson (born April 27, 1988), known as Lizzo, is an American rapper and singer. She was born in Detroit, Michigan. When she was ten, her family moved to Houston, Texas. After college, she moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. There, she started her music career in hip hop music.

Before joining Nice Life Recording Company and Atlantic Records, Lizzo released two albums. These were Lizzobangers (2013) and Big Grrrl Small World (2015). Her first major record label EP, Coconut Oil, came out in 2016.

Lizzo became very famous with her third album, Cuz I Love You (2019). It reached number four on the US Billboard 200 chart. This album featured popular songs like "Juice" and "Tempo". A special version of the album included her 2017 song "Truth Hurts". This song became a huge hit two years after it was first released. It reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also became the longest-running solo song by a female rapper at the top spot.

Around this time, her 2016 song "Good as Hell" also became very popular. It reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. Lizzo received eight nominations at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. This was the most for any artist that year. She won three Grammy Awards, including Best Urban Contemporary Album for Cuz I Love You.

In 2021, Lizzo released "Rumors" with Cardi B. This song quickly reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100. Her fourth album, Special (2022), came out later. Its first song, "About ... Time", hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Lizzo also won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for this song.

Besides singing and rapping, Lizzo has also acted. She voiced a character in the animated movie UglyDolls (2019). She also hosts the Amazon Prime Video show Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls. For this show, she won an Emmy Award. In 2019, Time magazine named Lizzo "Entertainer of the Year." She has won four Grammy Awards, a Billboard Music Award, a BET Award, and two Soul Train Music Awards.

Early Life and Education

Melissa Viviane Jefferson was born on April 27, 1988, in Detroit, Michigan. When she was ten, her family moved to Houston, Texas. She learned to play the flute from age ten until she finished Alief Elsik High School in 2006. She also started rapping in high school.

At 14, she formed a music group called Cornrow Clique with her friends. Around this time, she got the nickname "Lizzo." It came from "Lissa" and was inspired by Jay-Z's song "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)". In college, she studied classical music at the University of Houston. She focused on playing the flute. After her father passed away when she was 21, she faced challenges trying to start her music career. In 2009 and 2010, she sang and played flute in a jazz/prog rock band called Ellypseas. She left college and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2011.

Music Career

2011–2013: Starting Out and Lizzobangers

In Minneapolis, Lizzo performed with groups like Lizzo & the Larva Ink. She also helped create an all-female rap/R&B group called the Chalice. In 2012, the Chalice released their first album, We Are the Chalice, which was popular locally. In 2013, Lizzo joined a hip-hop group called Grrrl Prty. They released two EPs before breaking up in 2016.

Lizzo's first hip-hop album, Lizzobangers, came out on October 15, 2013. Critics liked the album, with The Guardian giving it 4 out of 5 stars. The album was named the best new artist album in the Twin Cities by Star Tribune. Music videos were made for several songs from the album.

Lizzo toured the US and UK in late 2013. She opened for Har Mar Superstar and sang with his band. In October 2013, Lizzo won an award for best new artist in the Twin Cities. The next month, Time magazine named her one of 14 music artists to watch in 2014. The album was later re-released by Virgin Records.

2014–2015: Big Grrrl Small World

After her first album, Lizzo immediately started making new music. In 2014, she took part in a project where she talked about her body image. This experience inspired her to write "My Skin." She called it the main idea for her second album. She said that accepting your body is something everyone shares.

In September 2014, Lizzo was featured on a song called "BoyTrouble." This song was on Prince's album Plectrumelectrum. Lizzo said working with Prince was "surreal" and "like a fairytale." On October 7, 2014, Lizzo performed on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Lizzo's second album, Big Grrrl Small World, was released on December 11, 2015. Spin magazine put the album on its list of the "50 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015." Critics praised Lizzo's strong rapping and singing. Her song "Let 'Em Say" was featured in the TV show Broad City.

2016–2018: Coconut Oil

Lizzo was a host on MTV's live music show Wonderland in 2016. After signing with Atlantic Records that year, she released her first major EP, Coconut Oil, on October 7, 2016. "Good as Hell" was the first song from Coconut Oil. It was released on March 8, 2016, for the movie Barbershop: The Next Cut.

Lizzo helped write every song on the album. The music style was different from her earlier hip hop songs. The songs on Coconut Oil are about loving your body and loving yourself.

Coconut Oil received good reviews from music critics. Nylon magazine said it was "essential for healthy living." Rolling Stone put it on their list of the "20 Best Pop Albums of 2016." The album reached number 44 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. This was Lizzo's first album to appear on a music chart. To promote the EP, Lizzo went on the Good as Hell Tour in 2017. She also appeared as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race. In early 2018, Lizzo toured with Haim and Florence and the Machine.

Lizzo has become a strong supporter of body positivity and self-love. Her backup dancers, the Big Grrrls, are all plus-size dancers. Lizzo appeared in ModCloth's "Say It Louder" campaign in June 2018. She also wore a special plus-size outfit for a fashion show. Lizzo was featured in Teen Vogue magazine in June 2018.

2019–2020: Breakthrough with Cuz I Love You

In 2019, Lizzo also started acting. She provided a voice for a character in the animated movie UglyDolls.

"Juice" was the first song from her third album. It was released on January 4, 2019. The next month, she announced the album title, Cuz I Love You. It was released on April 19, 2019. After her album came out, she performed at the Coachella Music Festival for the first time.

Cuz I Love You changed Lizzo's career. It helped her gain more mainstream attention. The album debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 chart. It later reached number four three months after its release.

Lizzo's 2017 song "Truth Hurts" became very popular. It was featured in a Netflix movie and became a huge hit on TikTok. The song was then added to the special version of Cuz I Love You. This increased interest in the album, which stayed in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for many months.

"Truth Hurts" became Lizzo's first number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100. Lizzo was the third female rapper to top the Hot 100 without another artist featured. She was also the first Black solo female R&B singer to reach number one since Rihanna in 2012. "Truth Hurts" stayed at number one for seven weeks. The music video for the song, where Lizzo "marries herself," has been watched over 220 million times on YouTube. Lizzo shared that the initial lack of success for "Truth Hurts" almost made her quit music.

Lizzo is also known for playing the flute. She started playing as a child and has continued to improve. She performs with her flute, which she named Sasha Flute, in many of her shows. She played it during her performance of "Truth Hurts" at the 2019 BET Awards. This performance earned her a standing ovation.

Throughout summer 2019, Lizzo performed often. She played at the Glastonbury Festival and headlined Indianapolis and Sacramento pride festivals.

On July 23, 2019, Lizzo was nominated for awards at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards. She performed a mix of "Truth Hurts" and "Good as Hell" at the awards show. Her performance received great praise. Around this time, her 2016 song "Good as Hell" also became popular worldwide. It reached the top three on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top ten on the UK Singles Chart.

Lizzo made her Saturday Night Live debut on December 21, 2019. She was the musical guest for the episode hosted by Eddie Murphy. In January 2020, Lizzo performed at FOMO Festival in Australia and New Zealand. She also had a sold-out show at the Sydney Opera House. She opened the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards and won three awards. She received many nominations at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, winning one. In August 2020, Lizzo signed a deal with Amazon Studios to create new projects. Her first project was a reality competition show called Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, which premiered on March 24, 2022.

2021–2024: Special Album

Lizzo at the 2022 South by Southwest festival

On August 2, 2021, Lizzo announced a "new era" with her song "Rumors". It was released on August 13. Lizzo said her next album would be "a love album." On March 23, 2022, Lizzo announced the song "About ... Time" would be released on April 14. After the song came out, Lizzo shared the title of her fourth album, Special. She announced it would be released on July 15.

She returned to Saturday Night Live as both host and musical guest on April 16, 2022. On June 10, 2022, Lizzo released "Grrrls," a promotional song from Special.

On July 15, 2022, Lizzo released her fourth album, Special. It received good reviews from music critics. After Special was released, "About ... Time" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In February 2023, "About ... Time" won "Record of the Year" at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. This was Lizzo's first win in one of the top Grammy categories.

Lizzo also helped write and produce a song called "F2F" on SZA's album SOS. Lizzo also worked with SZA on a remix of her song "Special." On December 17, 2022, Lizzo made her third appearance on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest. In autumn, she went on a big tour across North America, Europe, and Oceania called The Special Tour.

The 2023 movie Barbie featured an original song by Lizzo called "Pink". It was released on the Barbie the Album soundtrack on July 21. A second version, "Pink (Bad Day)," was released on July 29.

2025: New Album

On February 15, 2025, Lizzo started hinting about a new project called "LIRL." She shared a video clip on social media, saying it would be released on February 28. On February 28, 2025, she released the first song from her upcoming fifth album, called Love in Real Life.

Personal Life

Lizzo plays a crystal flute from US President James Madison at the Library of Congress in 2022

Throughout her career, Lizzo has been a role model. She supports body positivity and self-confidence. She believes social media and the Internet have helped change how people view different body sizes. She has been doing daily fitness routines since January 2024. She continues to support body positivity.

Lizzo grew up attending the Church of God in Christ. As of June 2020, Lizzo is a vegan.

Artistry and Style

Lizzo's music is mainly hip hop. It also includes styles like soul, R&B, and funk-pop. Lizzo has been influenced by artists like Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, and Beyoncé. She started as a rapper but added singing to her first album. She said that hearing Lauryn Hill made her think she could do both. She also looks to Diana Ross for fashion inspiration.

In 2019, a writer for The Guardian said Lizzo brought the flute back into popular music. She is seen as "the flute's brightest champion."

Discography

• Lizzobangers (2013)
• Big Grrrl Small World (2015)
• Cuz I Love You (2019)
• Special (2022)
• Love in Real Life (2025)

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Lizzo para niños

• List of artists who reached number one in the United States