Lizzo is having her cake and eating it too — literally. The singer hopped on Instagram Live on Tuesday to address the hate she’s been getting since the release of her new single, “Rumors" ft. Cardi B.
“I saw so much support from people on the Internet and it blew my mind. I was not expecting that nor was I looking for that,” she said. “I felt like it was really important for me to express myself that day because the point is people, we need to check ourselves and how we treat people…I just be feeling for the world, like this s**t ain’t right.”
Despite the influx of hateful backlash to the uplifting anthem, Lizzo said the song itself is still performing well on the music charts.
“The song 'Rumors' is doing extremely well,” she continued, adding that the track hit No. 1 on YouTube, Spotify and iTunes when it debuted. “I’m just so grateful to be an artist that has the ability to touch the world all at once with a song.”
The 33-year-old’s remarks came after she engaged in a tearful Instagram Live on Sunday to address fat-phobic and racist comments after some critics reportedly called her a mammy, as Blavity previously reported.
"On the days when I should feel the happiest, it just… I feel so down," she said, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "Sometimes I feel like the world just don't love me back. It's like it doesn't matter how much positive energy you put into the world, you're still gonna have people who have something mean to say about you."
"People saying s**t about me that doesn't even make sense,” she added. “It's fat-phobic, it's racist and it's hurtful. I'm not making music for anybody. I'm a Black woman making music. I make Black music, period. I'm not serving anyone but myself. Everyone is invited to a Lizzo show, to a Lizzo song. To this good energy. Everyone is invited."
After posting, a handful of celebrities came to Lizzo’s defense including Cardi B and activist Jameela Jamil, who called out the Internet trolls for benefiting off of Black women’s pain.
This app has spawned, encouraged and celebrated the most depraved, dehumanized and depressing side of human beings. It’s not FUNNY that you’re hurting some innocent cheerful musician’s mental health. It’s not going to take back the pain of whatever your school bullies did to you.
— Jameela Jamil ???? (@jameelajamil) August 15, 2021
"When you stand up for yourself they claim your problematic & sensitive.When you don’t they tear you apart until you crying like this,” Cardi B wrote on Twitter. Whether you skinny,big,plastic, they going to always try to put their insecurities on you.Remember these are nerds looking at the popular table."
When you stand up for yourself they claim your problematic & sensitive.When you don’t they tear you apart until you crying like this. Whether you skinny,big,plastic, they going to always try to put their insecurities on you.Remember these are nerds looking at the popular table. https://t.co/jE5eJw8XP6
— iamcardib (@iamcardib) August 15, 2021
The “Good As Hell” singer also said that she knows her purpose extends beyond herself and she will continue to uplift and inspire the Black women that look like her.
"What I won't accept is y'all doing this to Black women over and over and over again, especially us big Black girls," she said. "When we don't fit into the box that you want to put us in, you just unleash hatred onto us. It's not cool. I'm doing this s**t for the big Black women in the future who just want to live their lives without being scrutinized or put into boxes."
