Once the reputation is ruined, it is unabashedly processed into pop rap.
She was a poster girl for the body positivity movement, was considered the heir to Prince (with whom she worked at the beginning of her career), combined comedy, good humor, positivity, rap and pop and flute into a whole that was irresistible. And then, well, then something went wrong. In 2023, her backup dancers and parts of her team accused her of not being very nice when dealing with her employees; there was even talk of sexualized attacks, discrimination and fat-shaming.
What exactly had happened and who was right eventually became unclear. Although most of the lawsuits were dismissed, a few remained. And the reputation that something wasn’t quite right, anyway. Which then explains the title of her new album: Is she the BITCH? Or everyone who was – in her eyes – unfair to her? Somehow it is: both.
It starts with the opener “A Toast”, continues through the title song (with Alanis Morissette reference!) and doesn’t end with “Too Nice” or “Like A Crime”. Lizzo is bitter, and she makes no secret of it, even if she squeezes in the usual Lizzo bangers about untrustworthy bullies and self-empowerment between songs like this. Does that sound good? Of course, Lizzo still remains a fantastic songwriter and performer of great pop numbers. But BITCH leaves a strange feeling behind.