The Lizzo phenomenon has been a long time coming.
The 31-year-old (real name Melissa Jefferson) is a sometime rapper from Detroit who’s now found her voice as a sassy soul singer. It took her until this year’s third album Cuz I Love You to achieve a commercial breakthrough. The slow-burn success is underlined by current hit Good As Hell, which was actually first released in 2016.
At times she was overwhelmed by the chanting fans’ passionate reaction at the first of two nights in Brixton.“I used to dream of a place like this with people like you,” she gushed.
A force of nature, Lizzo combined big tunes with body positivity statements and outrageous choreography. She was twerking within three minutes and actively celebrating “my big ass” throughout the show. The saucy routines with a troupe of dancers showed her rap roots, while the absence of a band made Lizzo’s performance feel more like a riotous club night than a regular gig. Dumb-but-fun choruses (“Boys, boys, boys, make a girl go crazy”) heightened the exuberant atmosphere.
Yet for all the evening’s antics and sweary speeches, it was her powerhouse vocal that dominated, especially during the stomping, gospel-tinged album title track, the defiant break-up tune Jerome and the breathless, scorching soul of Good As Hell. When she was left alone on stage, she remained a commanding figure on songs such as the slinky ballad Lingerie. If there was any doubt about her musical prowess, the classically trained Lizzo even played a flute solo on bleary banger Truth Hurts.
Her boozy anthem Juice was the obvious conclusion to such a celebratory show in front of an adoring crowd. “2019 has been one of the most amazing years of my life,” said Lizzo. If the Grammys and Brit Awards go her way, 2020 should be even better.
