Lizzo confirms more details of her upcoming album 'Special'
Her new single 'About Damn Time' is out now
Last updated 21st Apr 2022
Lizzo, the singer and rapper behind hits such as 'Good As Hell' featuring Ariana Grande, and 'Rumors' with Cardi B, joining us on the evening show! Jordan-Lee caught up with Lizzo on Wednesday 20th April to talk about her new album, her single 'About Damn Time' and whether she is planning to tour in the UK.
Earlier this month, Lizzo released her song 'About Damn Time' and confirmed her new album would be released on 15th July, so Jordan-Lee wanted to know more about it.
What is Lizzo's new album called?
Lizzo's new album is called 'Special', it is the follow-up to her 2019 album 'Cuz I Love You'. In April 2022 she revealed the name, 'Special', as well as confirming the release date.
Although Lizzo has worked with Mark Ronson on some tracks on her album, she admitted on Hits Radio, that 'About Damn Time' wasn't one of them! "Oh my god, no, it's not!" She exclaimed when asked about it: "But I love Mark Ronson with my entire body and soul. We have created epic music!"
However, it seems we will have to wait a bit longer to hear the music, as her current single is produced by Blake Slatkin and Ricky Reed (Jason Derulo, Camila Cabello).
Lizzo went on to reveal that she loves the process of putting the album together, admitting she's a "bit of nerd" when she comes to it, as she studied it at school. She said: "The mix process is so wild, cos there are a lot of cooks in my kitchen too and (I've worked) on this album, there are some amazing producers. Mark Ronson to Max Martin and Benny Blanco, it goes there..."
She went on to explain that she loves the editing process when it comes to music and her TV show.
Previously, Lizzo has told James Corden the album took "three freaking years" to finish, but: "I feel amazing."
During the interview, Lizzo also confirmed she would be announcing a tour for the UK "very soon". We can't wait to hear more!
When is Lizzo's new single out?
Lizzo released her new single 'About Damn Time' on 14th April, she took to her socials to share news of the new song. On Instagram she wrote: 'SONG OF THE SUMMER DROPPING 4/14! ITS ABOUT DAMN TIME- PRE SAVE LINK IN BIO'. (sic)
'About Damn Time' is the follow-up to Lizzo's collab with Cardi B released in 2021 called 'Rumors' which reached Number 20 in the UK.
How can I hear Jordan-Lee's interview with Lizzo?
You can listen to Jordan-Lee's interview with Lizzo on our website.
When can I listen to Jordan-Lee on Hits Radio?
You can listen to Jordan-Lee on Hits Radio Monday - Thursday from 7pm.
How can I listen to Hits Radio?
You can find Hits Radio on FM and DAB. You can listen right here on our website, download our free app for iPhone or Android, or ask your Smart Speaker to 'play Hits Radio'.
When is Lizzo on tour in the UK ?
Lizzo is not currently on tour in the UK and she hasn't released any dates. However, Lizzo did confirm in the interview that she is planning to come to the UK "very soon".
Lizzo's career so far: How did she get famous?
Early life and studying
After studying classical music at the University of Houston, Lizzo lived out of her car for a year following her father's death to break into the music industry. She moved to Minneapolis in 2011, performing with various indie bands including Lizzo & the Larva Ink.
2012: Chalice
Lizzo also performed as part of a three-piece band the Chalice, releasing an album in 2012. She released her solo debut album, 'Lizzobangers', in 2013, and it was re-released on Virgin Records a year later.
2013: Supporting Har Mar Superstar
She toured as a support act for Har Mar Superstar in 2013, and also sang with his band. Lizzo worked on a body positivity campaign What's Underneath for StyleLikeU in 2014, writing the song 'My Skin' after being inspired by the project.
2014: Working with Prince
Collaborating with pop icon Prince in 2014 on his album Plectrumelectrum, Lizzo called it "surreal... almost like a fairytale" and that it was "something I will never actually get over." Her second studio album 'Big Grrrl Small World' was released in 2015, and she briefly became a host for MTV.
2016: Signing with Atlantic Records
Lizzo signed with Atlantic Records in 2016, and put out EP 'Coconut Oil' that same year, which featured 'Good As Hell', and received huge critical acclaim - with many praising Lizzo for her inspirational lyrics about self-love and self-acceptance.
2017: 'Good As Hell Tour'
She went on the 'Good As Hell Tour' in 2017, and also appeared as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race. The following year, she toured with the likes of Haim and Florence and The Machine.
2018: Body positivity campaigns
2018 was a big year for Lizzo in different ways - she became a hugely influential figure regarding body positivity, featuring in campaigns and on the covers of magazines. She released her third album 'Cuz I Love You' in January 2019, spawning singles 'Juice' and Tempo featuring Missy Elliott. She then performed at Coachella Festival.
2019: Acting in Hustlers
Lizzo starred in Hustlers alongside the likes of JLo, Cardi B, Julia Stiles and Keke Palmer in 2019, which was based on a 2015 article in New York magazine by Jessica Pressler called 'The Hustlers at Scores'. She also lent her voice to animated film UglyDolls with Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas and Pitbull among others.
2019: Glastonbury slot
In 2019, she performed at Glastonbury Festival, and released a remix of 'Good As Hell' featuring Ariana Grande.
2020: BET Awards
Lizzo was nominated in a whopping four categories at the 2020 BET Awards! She was in the running for Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Album of the Year for 'Cuz I Love You', the BET HER Award for her song 'Tempo' featuring Missy Elliott and Best Female R&B/Pop Artist - which she won at the ceremony on 28th June 2020.
2020: BRIT Awards
Lizzo gave an incredible medley performance at the BRIT Awards 2020, singing three of her biggest hits so far - 'Truth Hurts', before sliding into a wonderful rendition of 'Good As Hell' and finishing off with the fan-favourite 'Juice'.
2021: 'Rumors'
Lizzo took to Instagram in August 2021 to announce that she was set to release a brand new single 'Rumors' on 13th August! Obviously, fans went wild for the new pic, commenting with excitement in their droves.
2022: Lizzo releases a series on Amazon Prime
Lizzo's new TV series on Amazon Prime was released in 2022. The series called Lizzo's Watch Out For The Big Grrrls follows the singer in a search for the next Big Grrrl dancers as she heads on her 2022 tour.
2022: Lizzo releases 'Special'
Lizzo released her album 'Special' in July 2022. Lizzo told James Corden the album took "three freaking years" to finish, but "I feel amazing."
2022: Lizzo releases 'Special'
Lizzo released her album 'Special' in July 2022. Lizzo told James Corden the album took "three freaking years" to finish, but "I feel amazing." The record contains huge hits like 'About Damn Time', 'Grrrls' and '2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)'.
2022: Lizzo wins her first Emmy Award
In September, Lizzo picked up her first Emmy Award for her Prime Video show Watch Out For The Big Grrrls. In her acceptance speech she touched on the representation in her show and said: "When I was a little girl, all I wanted to see was me in the media."
2022: Lizzo announces UK tour dates for 'The Special Tour'
Lizzo announced in October 2022 that she would be bringing her 'The Special Tour' over to the UK, performing in cities Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and London.
2022: Lizzo wins the People's Champion award
Lizzo gave an empowering speech as she collected a People's Choice Award for the People's Champion. The singer brought out 17 activists with her on stage saying: "To be an icon isn't about how long you've had your platform, being an icon is about what you DO with that platform."
2023: Record of the Year at the Grammys 2023
It really was 'About Damn Time'! Lizzo took home Record of the Year at the 2023 Grammys for the track which has no doubt been on pretty much everyone's party playlist all year. Winning over her icons Adele and Beyoncé, Lizzo mentioned them both in her acceptance speech, gushing over how Bey had actually inspired her to become a performer. N'aww!
2023: BRIT Awards 2023 performance
Although Lizzo didn't win either of the two categories she was nominated for at the BRIT Awards 2023 - missing out to Beyoncé both times - she gave a powerhouse performance! Doing a medley of 'Special', '2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)' and 'About Damn Time', she absolutely SLAYED the stage! Watch it on YouTube.
2023: Lizzo announced to appear in The Simpsons
Lizzo will appear in the season 34 finale of The Simpsons. The singer, and her infamous flute will appear in the episode called Homer's Adventure Through the Windshield Glass.
2023: Lizzo performs at Glastonbury
In June 2023, Lizzo performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival, wowing the crowd with a set packed with her biggest hits.
2024: Lizzo clears up confusion after 'I quit' statement
At the end of March 2024, Lizzo shared a statement on Instagram telling her fans that she 'quits', however it wasn't clear at the time if she meant quitting the music industry, or social media.
Just a few days later, Lizzo shared a video of herself on social media, confirming she is NOT quitting music, but 'negative energy'.
Who has Lizzo collaborated with?
Lizzo has released a number of songs including two big collaborations. In 2019 she re-released her song 'Good As Hell' as a remix with Ariana Grande. The music video for the remix has now had more than three million views on YouTube.
In 2021, Lizzo teamed up with Cardi B on their hit 'Rumors'. The song reached Number 20 in the UK and was her comeback single after two years away. In 2021, the song was also nominated for Song of Summer at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Now read:
A timeline of Lizzo's iconic career so far ✨
Ariana Grande's rise to fame: From school plays to Platinum albums
Cardi B's biggest collabs including 'Girls' and 'WAP'