.
[upbeat music]
* *
- All right. What's up?
Welcome to another "Songs & Stories,"
where we bring you into the music, lyrics,
lives, and inspirations
of some of the most gifted artists around.
Today, we celebrate a woman who worked her way to create
number one hits, and did so with a blend of sounds
that is truly and uniquely her own.
- Oh, look at Melissa trying to be shy.
- Raised in Detroit and Houston on a foundation
of gospel music, Melissa Jefferson
discovered the flute in grade school.
In high school, she formed the hip-hop group
Cornrow Clique, creating the artist we now know as Lizzo.
She then suffered a devastating loss
with the death of her father, a man who had helped
drive her passion for music.
With his memory and her resolve,
Lizzo headed to Minneapolis, appeared on mixtapes,
and dropped her acclaimed debut,
"Lizzobangers," which led to collabs
with legends like Prince.
Following another indie drop
and her bold major label debut,
"Cuz I Love You"...
- * I love you *
- Lizzo hit her stride with an extraordinary series
of accomplishments. - Lizzo! Looking back!
- She was the first Black solo female R&B singer
to top the Hot 100 since 2012,
the first Black woman to win Record of the Year
at the Grammys since 1994 with "About Damn Time"...
- * It's about damn time *
- And "Truth Hurts" would become
the longest-running number one single
by a solo female rap artist ever.
- * Bom-bom be dum be dum-bum bay *
- In less than a decade,
Lizzo racked up number one hits...
- * That, gimme gimme that, gimme gimme that *
- Dozens of gold and platinum certifications,
an Emmy,
and four Grammy Awards.
Over the years, she's inspired millions
with her style, confidence, tenacity, and a humor
as infectious as it is disarming.
And she's just getting started.
- * Baby, how you feelin' *
- * Feeling good as hell *
[cheers and applause]
- Everybody, please put your hands together for Lizzo.
[upbeat music]
[cheers and applause]
* *
Have a seat!
Oh, my God.
- Oh, my goodness. - You--
you have one of those smiles that is so infectious.
- Aw, thank you.
- I was going to tell you earlier when we saw each other,
but I was trying to rehearse or whatever.
But, yeah, you have one of the most beautiful smiles,
like when you enter a room. - Aw, so do you.
- No, but you know, like, people...
- It lights up your face.
- They say, oh, they light up a room.
We say it too much. Everybody can't do that.
But you do that. - But you do that too.
You're a Taurus. You understand.
- You lie. You lie. But I love you.
So wait, this-- this hour, everybody,
we'll be joined on a few songs by my very talented band--
Jason Halbert on the piano, Jaco Caraco on guitar,
Lester Estelle on drums, Alex Eckhardt on bass,
and Jessi Collins on background vocals.
Y'all give it up for an amazingly talented band.
I want to start, because I feel like a lot of us
artists started in church, like,
started singing in church. And you're one of those, right?
You started with gospel music?
- I didn't sing, though. I-- - I know!
I found that interesting.
- Yeah, I was raised in the gospel church.
I was raised in COGIC, which is the Church of God in Christ.
It's a family-owned church. Started in, like, 1914.
Right, Mom? When was it? Jesus.
And so my whole family was the congregation,
the choir, the band, the deacons, the pastor.
- Yeah.
- So you know, I just-- it was natural to me.
- You couldn't mess up in your church.
Everybody would know.
- Oh, and that's why I never sang.
I just--but that wasn't even my ministry.
I would just watch and be like, wow!
And that's why I learned how to play the flute.
Because I was like, I gotta do something.
- Yeah. Oh, you're-- you're incredible on that.
I don't know how you make
a flute sexy, but you do it well.
And who would have thought that would have happened?
But you did it. But you--
I heard that you also formed singing groups...
- I did. - Which I think it was funny.
Because it's very much a manager of you.
- I know. - Yeah. I love that.
Or producer, even. - Right.
Well, I wanted to be like Matthew Knowles.
And so--because we were in Houston...
- Yeah.
- So Destiny's Child was all the rage.
And I was like, I want to be like them.
- I was in Fort Worth, same thing, yeah, Texas.
- Yeah, come on. Texas girls.
So I would audition my friends.
I would be like, you got a voice on you?
Like, can you-- you got what it--
I'd be like, you got what it takes? OK.
And I would do auditions over the phone.
And I'd be like, OK, now sing a song.
Uh-uh, like, where do you want to go with this?
You want to be on MTV? What do you want to do?
You want to be-- - Oh, my gosh.
I love that. - Yeah.
- Have you always been bigger picture like that?
You think, like, the whole almost orchestra, right?
- You know, it's inside of my head, so I--
I can't experience what you guys are experiencing.
Because I hear that all the time.
They're like, the way your brain works.
I'm like, it's just my brain. - It's cool.
- Like, you know, I'm just me.
I appreciate it. - Yeah.
- It gets me through the gig, I'll tell you that much.
- Yeah, no, but I want to ask about your song, "Juice."
- Oh!
- How did that song come together?
- [sighs]
That was, like, my first, like, diva moment.
That's how "Juice" came about. - Yeah.
- I had been in the studio for a long time,
like, over a year, working with Ricky Reed,
who we love. Make some noise.
He produced "Juice," "About Damn Time,"
"Truth Hurts," "Still Bad," "Love in Real Life."
You name it, he bought it, he wrote it with me.
So anyways, I was getting really frustrated
because I was at that beginning stage
of, like, artist development,
where the label was just like, more, more, more.
Because, you know, they don't know
what a Lizzo hit looks like yet,
because I hadn't had one.
So I remember being really frustrated that day.
And I was in the studio,
and there's this other incredible songwriter.
His name is Theron Thomas.
He won Songwriter of the Year at the Grammys.
Make some noise. - Yeah.
- It was just, like, us three in a room.
And I looked at both of them, and I was like,
you produce hit songs. You write hit songs.
I'm leaving. Y'all make something happen.
And I left. - Yeah.
- I was such a diva, and I never am that way.
- No! - I'm always like...
- People don't see that part though.
- Gotta keep working.
Yeah, when you've written, like, 400 songs,
and then it's never good enough.
So I left the studio, and then I came back.
And when I came back, it was the...
* Dow, dow, bow, dow, dow, dow, dow, do *
And I was like, OK, you guys might have did something.
- You did it. Yeah.
- And then after that, like, we just started
having fun and playing. And--
- That's another lesson though. - Yeah.
- It takes time to create something.
- It does.
- I think people think it happens--
sometimes it does. It goes really quick.
But most times I'd say it doesn't.
- Yeah.
- It takes a minute to create something,
and I think people hear it,
and they're like, oh, that must have been so easy.
It's like, it is-- it's what you love,
but it isn't always easy. - Yeah.
- And I think that's fair to point out.
I want to do a little bit of "Juice."
- Oh! - * Let's do it *
- Two, three, four!
- * Mirror, mirror on the wall *
* Don't say it, 'cause I know I'm cute *
- * Oh, baby *
- * Louis down to my drawers *
- * LV all on my shoes * - * Oh, baby *
- * I be drippin' so much sauce *
* I got a bih looking like Ragú *
- * Oh, baby *
- * Lit up a crystal ball *
* That's cool, baby, so is you *
* That's how I roll *
- * If I'm shinin, everybody gonna shine *
- * Yeah, you go *
- * I was born like this, don't even gotta try *
- * So you know *
- * I'm like chardonnay, get better over time *
- * Now you know *
- * Heard you say I'm not the baddest *
* Girl, you lie * - Bitch!
[together] * It ain't my fault *
* That I'm out here getting loose *
* Gotta blame it on the Goose *
* Gotta blame it on my juice, baby *
* It ain't my fault *
* That I'm out here making news *
* I'm the pudding in the proof *
* Gotta blame it on my juice *
* Ya-ya ee, ya-ya ee *
* Ya-ya ee *
* Blame it on my juice *
* Blame it, blame it on my juice *
* Ya-ya ee, yeah, ya-ya ee, ya-ya ee *
- * Here we go *
[together] * Blame it on my juice *
[cheers and applause]
- Whoa! - I love that ending.
- Baby.
- I love that one. I love that one.
I love that song so much.
I think it's just-- it's one of those songs,
too, that everybody sings along to.
It doesn't matter, like, where you're from.
- Yeah. - Everybody knows that song.
I think that's such a cool thing to have.
Like, not every artist has that in their catalog.
And it's just, you have so many.
It's full of it. - Aw.
- So you went from not wanting to sing and rap
and do other things to being an inspiration for millions
of women who didn't feel like there was
an artist who looked like them, which is very important.
Have you always been that confident,
or was there a shift? - Oh, no.
I don't even think I'm that confident now.
Because I think confidence-- sometimes I am.
- Yeah. - Sometimes I'm not.
I think confidence is not, like, a destination.
I think it's like a mood that you can be in.
Like, sometimes I feel confident.
Sometimes I feel insecure. - Mm-hmm.
- But I think that a woman who looks like me,
showing the world her confidence--
and sometimes it was scary showing my confidence.
Like, it's scary being like, I'ma wear a bikini
or I'ma wear a leotard on stage.
Like, it was scary. But I was like, you know what?
Sometimes confidence comes from doing things
that are scary too. - Yeah, pushing yourself.
- Yeah, you know what I'm saying?
- Pushing yourself, growing, yeah.
[cheers and applause]
- Yay. But I think I can--
I can get through it all.
I can get through my confidence--
my confident days and the days
where I lack self-confidence because I have self-love.
- Mm-hmm. - I love myself.
I love myself even when I'm feeling insecure.
Like, I have to love myself to nurse myself
back to the confidence. You know what I mean?
- That's everyone.
- So I think I had to find self-love first,
and then everyone could really see my confidence shine.
- Yeah. And I think that's important.
Because we all have days that we're feeling like, ooh,
I'm doing all right. - Yeah.
- And then there's days where you're like, so this is--
I didn't know there was a basement to rock bottom.
- Hello!
- But I found it, and that's so fun. Yeah.
- There's an elevator, and it goes deeper.
- Hello. Wow.
Hell is even further.
No, it does. it's very important.
Because people, I think, see us, once again,
out here smiling and doing stuff.
- Yeah.
- But it's like, there's a whole life going on,
you know, behind the scenes that everybody doesn't see.
But I think it's so important,
and that confidence that you instill in people that
maybe they wouldn't have before.
- Yeah. - I think.
And a lot of your songs are so empowering
like that too. - Aw.
- But speaking of embracing who you are,
one of your earliest singles is "Good As Hell"...
- Oh, yeah. - Which is so good.
[cheers and applause]
What does that mean to you?
Do you have to sing this to yourself sometimes--
you know, the whole message, the vibe?
- Oh, God, there was a year of my life where
I cried every time I sang this song on stage
because I needed it so bad.
I was like... [imitates tearful singing]
- Yeah, you're like, actually, it's not great.
I'm feeling good. - I throw my hair down.
- Yeah. [laughs]
- But it's funny, because I wrote this song for my friends.
So you know, if my friend was going through something,
I'd be like, what would I tell her?
You know what I mean?
And then "Good As Hell" happened, you know,
with the little piano riff.
But I need my music so bad, and I never know
when I'm going to need it too. That's the crazy part.
- Yeah.
- Like, "Soulmate" comes in handy, too, honey.
Like, because, you know, music should be useful.
- And isn't it funny that you're on stage
and you don't think-- all of a sudden,
you're singing a song that you've sang, like,
every night on tour or something,
and then, all of a sudden, for some reason,
it hits you different. - It hits different.
- And you're like, ah, everything's fine.
- Whew! - Yeah.
- Yeah.
- I love music, though, because it's transformative like that.
- It's therapeutic, yeah. - Oh, come on.
- And you want to become a better version of yourself.
That's the whole point of art, in general.
But let's sing. Let's sing it.
This is "Good as Hell." - Aw.
- This is good. This is good.
["Good as Hell"]
* *
- Yes, Lord.
* I do my hair toss, check my nails *
* Baby, how you feeling? * - Feeling good as hell.
- * Hair toss, check my nails *
* Kelly, how you really feeling? *
- I'm feeling pretty good, actually. Yeah.
- * Ooh, child, I'm tired of the bull *
* Go on, dust your shoulders off *
* Keep it moving, yes, Lord *
* It's time to get some newness in there *
* Swimwear, going to the pool quick *
- * Come now, dry your eyes *
* You know you a star *
* You can touch the sky *
- * I know that it's hard, but you have to try *
* If you need advice, let me simplify *
[together] * If he don't love you *
* Anymore *
- * Just walk your fine ass out the door *
[together] * I do my hair toss *
* Check my nails *
- * Baby, how you feeling? * - * Feeling good as hell *
[together] * Hair toss, check my nails *
- * Baby, how you feeling? *
- * Feeling good as hell *
- * Hair toss, check my nails *
* Come on, baby, how you feeling? *
- * Feeling good as hell *
- * Hair toss, check my nails *
* Baby, how you feeling? *
- * Good as hell * - * How you feeling? *
- * Good as hell, good as hell *
[cheers and applause]
- I sang at the wrong part. Sorry.
- That's the greatest part.
That was, like, the last song.
I was like, oh, wait, what? No.
So when people-- I love that, though.
What people don't realize is, like, it takes--
like, the artists that come on here and do "Songs & Stories,"
y'all, we literally get to practice this once or twice,
and then we do it. And we're figuring out parts.
It's a completely different version.
And that's what's kind of cool about it.
Like, to hang in this environment,
you have to be able to pivot and go, OK, cool.
Now we're going to do this. - Yep.
- And I think that's what's so fun.
I think the world is highly too filtered.
- Yeah. - You know what I'm saying?
- Absolutely. - We're just too filtered.
It's like, it's OK, like, to like go, OK, cool.
I'll jump up on harmony.
Like, it's OK to, like, do stuff like that.
And sometimes the mess up is where
the beauty is, the magic is.
But anyway, we've got a lot more
"Songs & Stories" with Lizzo to come.
We'll be right back. - Hey.
[upbeat music]
* *
.
[cheers and applause]
[upbeat music]
- All right, welcome back.
This is "Songs & Stories" with Lizzo.
So we have to talk about the flute, OK?
The flute-- yes!
How long have you been playing flute?
- Oh, gosh.
Since the fifth grade. - Wow.
- Yeah. Yeah, a long time.
- And how-- and you quit for a while,
right, just a little bit?
- Well, I just, like, stopped playing
the flute because I was running through the six with my woes.
I was-- [laughs]
- Yep.
- I was fully deep in indie-- being an indie rapper,
and I was, like, fully headfirst into that,
and there was no space for flute in indie rap,
- Yeah.
- Even though J. Dilla exists and is a thing.
- Yeah.
- I was told, you know, don't ever play the flute
and be a rapper. That's going to be so corny.
And so I never did. I was kind of ashamed of it.
- It's so different. It's so cool.
It's something that separates you, as well.
Like, great rapper, great singer, great musician,
great producer. - Yeah. Hey, come on.
- Even back from putting your girl groups together.
- Come on. - I was like--
and you're classically trained.
- Yes. - How do you think that helps?
I think it helps tremendously. - Oh, God.
- Yeah. - It's a whole other language.
Like, I tell young people all the time, like,
if you're in band, stay in band.
Like, I don't care what that-- your peers say,
or what the other classmates say.
If it's, oh, you're not cool-- OK.
This is a hidden language that you will use
for the rest of your life.
You can speak engineer, you can speak producer...
- Yeah. - Like, you can speak guitar.
Like, when they're playing certain chords,
you can get in there. You can modulate easier.
- Yeah.
- And so I think, like, having a music theory brain--
- Mm-hmm.
- Is definitely the number one reason why I can
make pop music the way I do. - Yeah.
- Absolutely, yeah.
- And I think that's what makes it--
I mean, it is pop. It's popular.
But I think it also-- you encompass
so many different genres, and that's what I think is cool.
- Yeah. - It's such a good vibe.
And it's, like, such a strength
to be able to do that. - Yeah.
- Not many people can waltz into other territories.
- I'm just good at too many things.
That's the problem. Like-- - It's my cross to bear.
- My God.
[cheers and applause]
- So exhausting.
- You want soul, you want rock, you want rap,
you want R&B. You want it, I got it.
- With a flute! - Name it, you got it.
- With a flute.
You play flute in "About Damn Time."
Like, what was the... - Yeah.
- Thought process on that?
Did you know right away, or you were like,
you know what this needs? It's missing cowbell.
It's missing--yeah. - More cowbell.
- Yeah.
- There's cowbell-- there's actually cowbell
on "About Damn Time," by the way.
And "Still Bad." - Yeah.
- I think I like to sneak flute on all of my albums.
So Sasha has been snuck onto the "Cuz I Love You" album,
snuck onto the "Special" Album,
and I snuck her on "Love in Real Life."
- Your flute is named Sasha?
- Her name is Sasha Flute. - I did not--Sasha?
Like Sasha Fierce.
- You get it. You get it.
- She's your Sasha Fierce. She was my alter ego.
- I like it. - She was my alter ego.
- Sasha Flute, oh, it's good.
- And so there was, like, a bell
that was already playing.
It was like a '70s like...
[hums melody]
That type of sound.
And it was playing the...
[hums melody]
And I was like, let me play that.
And I went in and I replayed it on the flute.
And I just think it brings the music, like, more heart...
- Yes.
- When I put more of myself into it.
- Yes.
- Into the production and into the actual beat.
- You know why? Because it's authentic.
- Yeah. - It's not forced.
I think when people try and force something,
then it's not-- then it's not going to read.
- Right.
- But as long as it's authentic and it's really you,
I think it reads really well.
It obviously did. - Well...
- Let's sing it. - Record of the Year!
- Yes!
[cheers and applause]
It's so good.
All right, this is "About Damn Time."
["About Damn Time"]
All right.
- Oh, I think y'all know this one.
I know that's right. You better, ah!
Ah! Ha! Come on.
* It's bad bitch o'clock *
* Yeah, it's thick 30 *
* I've been through a lot, but I'm still flirty *
- Hey!
- * Is everybody back up in the building? *
* It's been a minute, tell me how you're healing *
* 'Cause I'm about to get into my feelings *
* How you feeling? *
* How you feel right now? *
[together] * Oh, I've been so down *
* And under pressure *
* I'm way too fine to be this stressed, yeah *
* Oh, I'm not the girl I was or used to be *
- * Bitch, I might be better *
[together] * Turn up the music *
* Turn down the lights *
* I've got a feeling *
* I'm gonna be all right *
- * OK * - * OK *
- * All right *
[together] * It's about damn time *
* Turn up the music *
* Let's celebrate *
* I've got a feeling *
* I'm going to be OK *
- * OK * - * OK *
- * All right *
[together] * It's about damn time *
* I'm coming out tonight *
- Hey! - * OK *
* It's about damn time *
* *
[cheers and applause]
- You guys, she's incredible.
More "Songs & Stories" with Lizzo next.
Stay right there.
[upbeat music]
* *
.
[upbeat music]
* *
- Welcome back to "Songs & Stories."
Lizzo is here with us, everybody.
Early in her life, two major musical influences for Lizzo
were Lauryn Hill and Radiohead, which is so rad.
Those are two great artists.
- Couldn't be more different. - I love that.
Me too, by the way.
I love both those artists. - Yeah.
Why those artists?
What about those artists that really influenced you?
- Well, Lauryn Hill is, like,
a once in a generational talent.
And when I first heard "the Miseducation,"
it, like, changed my brain chemistry.
Because I could not fathom somebody
being that incredible of a singer
and that incredible of a rapper
and that beautiful and that deep and that real
and write songs that make you cry.
"To Zion" is, like, the greatest love song
ever written, ever written.
And it was about her baby.
So that's how-- come on.
And God, which is just like, ugh.
I cry every time.
So, yeah, I mean, Lauryn Hill changed my life,
because I wanted to be a great singer
and a great rapper. - Yeah.
- And she was the blueprint. And Missy Elliott.
- Oh, I love Missy Elliott! - Blueprints.
- I love Missy Elliott. Yeah.
- Both of those women are the blueprint.
- Well, both are highly innovative.
- Yes. - And Radiohead.
- Radiohead is a different story.
- But still different... - Yeah.
- From what other bands were doing, I feel like.
- Radiohead is my big sister's favorite band,
and so it trickled into the house.
And I used to be like, oh, no,
I don't like that old, you know?
That stuff, it's different.
I don't like that different music.
You know, we grew up in Houston.
- Yeah. - I'm listening to Lil Flip...
- Yeah. - And UGK.
- Yeah.
- But "OK Computer" filtered in,
and I was like, wait, what is this?
- I'm telling you.
- This is, like, one of the greatest albums I ever heard.
But I had to keep it on the low,
because I grew up in the swat, you know?
It's not very accepted.
Like, rock music and Black kids listening
to rock music back then,
and I was kind of like on the outside.
- Yeah.
- I watched anime. I listened to rock music.
It was very subculture-y.
And Radiohead was very subculture-y for a while.
They, like, rejected the mainstream.
And... - Yeah.
- They're still so innovative in their field too.
Like, the way that they innovated, like, drums
in rock music and pop music is crazy.
Like-- - How it surrounds you.
- I feel like they're the first band who did,
like, synthesized drums.
I feel like rock bands always had,
like, live drums, the guitar player,
the bass player. - Yeah.
- And then one day, Thom Yorke was just like,
[with English accent] No, I'm going to--
- [with English accent] No.
- [with English accent] I'm going to do a beat machine.
- Oh, my God.
That's an amazing accent.
Anyway, another artist who inspired you,
who I love--and by the way, fell in love with her
not just musically--but if you have not seen her live,
she is also a stand-up comedian.
She is so funny. Adele, I love her.
She's so funny.
I hear that you love this song. I think we all do.
But I hear you love the song "Someone Like You," right?
- Oh, someone like me loves this song.
- Yeah, it's such a great song.
Don't you hear it-- is that one of those songs
that you hear, and you're like, damn it,
I wish I'd have written that. Like, you know what I'm saying?
Do you ever have that, when you hear other artists,
you're like aw? - I do have songs like that.
- Yeah.
- I'm glad Adele has it, because she sings it so good.
- No, no, totally. No, totally.
I just mean, like, what a great message.
- I know exactly what you mean. Yeah.
- Like, how about--yeah.
- There's also a video of me on YouTube,
like, as a young Lizzo playing it on piano.
It was, like, the first song on piano
I learned how to play and sing.
- I did not find that. - I know. I know.
I'm going to now. - You didn't lurk hard enough.
- Oh, I'm not--
I'm not good at stalking... - No.
- Like, in that sense.
Yeah, I really love people... - I am.
- Like, and their music. - No, I'm kidding.
- I'm bad at it. I'm bad at it.
But let's do a little Adele.
You want to do it? - Yeah.
- OK. Here's "Someone Like You."
["Someone Like You"]
* *
- You can sing it with us, too, audience.
- Yes.
* *
- * I heard *
* That you're settled down *
* That you've found a girl *
* And you're married now *
* I heard that *
* Your dreams came true *
* Guess she gave you things *
* That I couldn't give to you *
- * Old friend *
* Why are you so shy? *
* Ain't like you to hold back *
* Or hide from the light *
- * I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited *
* But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it *
* I'd hoped you'd see my face *
* And that you'd be reminded *
* That for me, this isn't over *
[together] * Never mind *
* I'll find someone like you *
* I wish nothing but *
* The best for you too *
* Don't forget me, I beg *
* I remember you said *
* Sometimes it lasts in love *
* But sometimes it hurts instead *
- * Sometimes it lasts in love *
* But sometimes truth hurts instead *
[cheers and applause]
* Bum, bum, be-dum, be-dum, bum, bay *
[laughter]
- All right, more "Songs & Stories" with Lizzo next.
We'll be right back.
[upbeat music]
* *
.
[cheers and applause]
[upbeat music]
* *
- Welcome back to "Songs & Stories" with Lizzo!
[cheers and applause]
We have been doing some hits and inspirations.
Let's talk about the new album, "Love in Real Life."
So what was your writing process?
Because you said you were kind of feeling stuck.
You wanted to get out and not have any, like, chains on it.
So, like, what was your writing process with this album?
- A little, like, autobiographical.
I was writing songs.
I allowed myself-- you know I had that--
I had a fear for a long time that if I recorded
something in the studio, that it would be
on the radio the next day. [laughs]
Or it would be, like, uploaded to Apple Music streaming.
- Well, because producers sometimes lie to you.
In the very beginning, they'd be like, just do it.
Let's just see how it sounds. - Yeah.
- And then they'd use it and not tell me. Ask.
- So I'd be so scared to, like, say something, or like--
this is what I really want to say, but let me change it
before I get in there.
This time I said what I wanted to say,
how I wanted to say it, as disrespectfully
as I wanted to say it, as...
[cheers]
- Truth. Truth hurts. - Hello.
As out of tune as I wanted to say it,
as free as I wanted to say it.
And so I found that, on this album,
if you listen to it, it's like, it--
it's literally my year. - It's your story.
- Yeah, it's like October 2023 to April 2024
in stories, in songs.
And it was really freeing for me,
because I wanted to talk a lot of [bleep],
and I got to, and it was great. - Yeah.
And that's what art is though. It's therapeutic.
- Right. It didn't make the album.
- Yeah, all that stuff. You filter yourself?
- No, no, but I got to make it. Like, I made the song.
And that's so important for creatives
you know? Like, paint the picture.
- Yeah. - Make the song.
You know what I mean? Like, it's OK.
Like, get that out of your system.
You're an artist. You have to create.
- Yeah. - Mm-hmm.
- One song on the album, is called "Bitch."
So why that title? I love it.
- Because I say bitch, like, 5,000 times on it.
- Yeah.
- What else am I going to call it?
I tried. - Yeah.
- At a certain point in your career, as a woman...
- Mm-hmm.
- You reach a level where you start
getting bitch allegations.
- Yeah. - We all get it.
When you work hard--
- They call you diva. They call you whatever.
Yeah. - Yeah. And I--
- Just 'cause you said no. You know what I'm saying?
You were just like, I don't want to do that.
- Because God forbid you set a boundary.
- Yeah. - God forbid.
- Yeah.
- They can't handle it from us...
- Yeah.
- Because we're so nice, actually.
And so that's why it's even more shocking.
- Yeah. - It's like, bitch.
And it's like, OK.
But I wrote it to kind of, like, celebrate.
You know, "bitch" is my favorite word.
- Well, and that's the thing, too.
It has different--my mother's always like, why do you use it?
And I was like, Mom, it means something different.
It doesn't always mean what you think it means.
- Yeah, it was like Missy Elliott, you know,
repurposed it and made it feminist.
And then Meredith Brooks took it...
- Yeah. - From Missy...
- Love. - And pushed it forward.
And they handed it to me. And I said, you know what?
I'll take it from here, ladies. - Yeah, I love it.
Let's do it. Let's do it.
This is "Bitch."
[cheers and applause]
- * She's a bitch * - Hey!
- * She's a bitch * - * She's a what? *
* What'd you say? * - * She's a bitch *
[together] * I do my thing *
* I do my, I do my, I do my thing *
* I do my thing *
* I do my, I do my, I do my thing *
- * I've been up since 6:00 a.m. *
* Working my A to Z *
* Don't got the energy to fake it *
* Sometimes I need to sleep *
- * She's a *
- * I heard what you said *
* I let it get to me *
* You want me to be everything *
* Except a human being *
[together] * I'm a bitch, I'm a lover *
* I'm a child, I'm a mother *
- * I'm a sinner, I'm a saint *
* I do not feel ashamed *
[together] * I'm a mess, I'm a queen *
- * And everything between *
[together] * You know you wouldn't *
* Want it any other way *
* She's a bitch *
* Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh *
* Bitch *
* Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh *
* She's a * - * Bitch *
[laughs]
[cheers and applause]
- Wait, we've still got a couple songs
with Lizzo to go, y'all.
I love this "Song & Stories" so much.
This next one is a ballad.
We're going to do it after the break.
Stay right here.
[cheers and applause]
[upbeat music]
* *
.
[cheers and applause]
[upbeat music]
- We are back with Lizzo and "Songs & Stories," y'all.
So how do you think, like-- we're artists, right?
So we're ever-changing. - Mm-hmm.
- So how do you think that you've kind of evolved
as an artist with this album?
- Ah, I think that I know myself.
I think that the journey of self
is one that just happens with time.
You never really fully know yourself,
but you can know yourself more than you knew yourself.
- Yeah. - And I think I--
this is the most knowing of who I am,
and like, honoring that person...
- Yeah. - And protecting her.
- Yeah.
- I never used to protect myself.
I was just very like, ah!
You know, threw myself to the wolves.
And, you know, you get taken advantage of a lot that way.
And so this whole, like, last two years of my life
was just about, like, learning how to protect myself...
- Mm-hmm.
- You know, as a woman, as a business person,
as an artist.
And right now with this album, this is all about,
like, protecting my ideas
and getting them out there and fighting for them,
even if it's, you know, off the beaten path,
or off the status quo, or off the plan.
- Mm-hmm.
- I was like, nah, I'm going to shoot
two music videos in New York, like, run and gun.
Like, I'm going to shoot a music video
after the Met in my dress and just run in the streets.
Like... - Wow.
- That's where I'm at right now.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- I think that's fun,
and I think that it's healthy.
I think the older we get, we realize how boundaries
are not only respectful to ourselves,
but also to others to let them know, like,
hey, I love you, but this is the line,
you know? - Mm-hmm.
- And I think that that's fine. I think that's growth.
- You have to teach people how to treat you, honestly.
- Ooh! - Because if not, they don't.
Hello.
- And also you can't teach someone
how to treat you if they don't know how to treat themselves...
- Whoo! - Well, as well.
- That's a word! - Yeah.
That's a hard... - That's a word!
- That's a hard little lesson...
- Come on, shabba.
- Some of us are still learning.
So you've also had some physical changes--
me, as well.
So what--why was that important for you?
- Change, I think, is important for me,
because I owe it to myself to change.
- Mm-hmm.
- I think when you are a pop star, and they put you--
they put you in a box. - Yeah.
- And you're never supposed to change.
You're never supposed to get older.
You're never--your body's never supposed to change.
The kind of song you put out's
never supposed to change, the visuals.
And it's like, no, I'm a human being.
I change just like y'all. - Yeah.
- And at this point in my life, this was the change I chose.
I chose to release weight from my body for my own reasons.
- Release weight? - Yeah.
- Go ahead with that emotional well-being.
I was like, I've never heard it put like that.
- Yeah. - Release weight.
- Yeah, 'cause I learned, like, the--
the spirituality behind weight,
and holding weight in your body is like, you know--
- Body keeps score. - I was being--
I was holding on to so much.
I was holding on to people, and toxic, like, relationships,
and unhealthy patterns. - Mm-hmm.
- And when I finally released that up here, I released here.
- Yeah. - And but this--
this followed suit, but this had to lead.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah, so that's where I'm at right now.
- That's hard.
- Yeah, it's hard. It's hard.
- It's hard. It's hard.
It's worth it, but it's hard.
- Yeah, it's hard because I have so many people,
and young people, who look to me because--
and are inspired by me because I look like them,
or I looked like them, or--you know what I mean?
- But I think that's the healthiest thing
that you can tell them.
Like, I want to be the healthiest version
of me right now, and this is what this looks like,
and it looks different at a different time.
I think holding people up on a pedestal of, like,
having to maintain something--
we can't maintain possibly the same thing,
or we're never going to grow. - Yeah.
- Like, we're never going to become
a better version of ourselves.
And I think that's what we all want until the day...
- Right. - We die, you know?
- Yeah.
- It's constantly be evolving and pushing
yourself and challenging yourself
and figuring out, how can I do better?
How can I emotionally do something different
than what I have been doing? - Yeah.
- But anyway, I want to talk about this, too,
because I'm not kidding.
There's a ballad, "Don't Make Me Love You."
- Whoo. And it's all about that.
- It's so good. - Thank you.
- It's possibly my favorite song you've ever released.
- Aw. - I love it so much.
It's such a good song. - Thank you.
- So where did this come from?
- This song, when you listen to it,
you think I'm talking about a man.
I'm not. I am--
this is about my relationship with the public.
And it's just like, you know,
don't make me love you if you're just
going to drag me the next day.
Don't build this false sense of security and community
if you're just going to throw me away.
And it's like, it's so toxic.
So just tonight, you either love me or leave me,
because I'm not-- don't--
I'm not wasting my time no more trying
to gain nobody's approval.
- And don't say it unless you mean it.
[cheers and applause]
Yeah, well, let's do it. I'm so excited.
- Oh!
- Here is "Don't Make Me Love You."
["Don't Make Me Love You"]
* *
- OK.
* Oh, here we go *
- Whoo!
- * You're playing with my feelings *
* Playing with my soul *
* But I can't let you go *
* No, I just want to be wanted and feel beautiful *
* You better know what you want *
[together] * Whoa *
* And if it ain't me, don't make me love you *
* Don't make my heart beat out of my chest *
* Don't make me want you *
* If you just want something else *
* Don't you quit me, baby *
* If this ain't it, just tell me tonight *
* Don't make me love you *
* If you just gonna change your mind *
* Don't waste my time *
- Oh, I love that song!
[cheers and applause]
I'm telling you what, I'm going to be dancing around my house,
like, all the time to this song.
I love it so much.
One more song to go, y'all.
And we are going to change it up for this one.
Stay here.
More "Songs & Stories" with Lizzo next.
- Oh, my God.
[cheers and applause]
[upbeat music]
* *
.
[cheers and applause]
[upbeat music]
- Welcome back.
Thank you for joining us for "Songs & Stories" with Lizzo.
So you wanted "Still Bad" to be a therapeutic song, right?
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- That is the same--
you hear it, and you think I'm talking about a man,
but I'm talking about the world.
Like, I don't need him.
It was really I don't need this.
I need a drink. You know what I mean?
- Yeah. - That's really the sentiment.
But-- - Everybody understands that.
When have you not gone home and been like,
today has been [bleep]? Like, you know what I'm saying?
- Yeah, but I have to always,
like, you know, as a songwriter,
it's like, how can we make this about love?
Because love is all there is. - Mm-hmm.
- So there is the him aspect.
You know, it's always fun to kind of--
truth hurts a man. - Yeah. Yeah.
- But it's a breakup song with the world.
It's like, wow, I'm about to throw my phone away.
I can't let my girls know this has been messing with my day,
you know?
And it's about kind of detaching from the phone
and the digital space and whatever mess
could be going on around you.
I don't even need to know about it.
My phone dead. - Yes.
- All I need to know about is my girls are here,
the drinks are cold, cold as snow.
You don't like-- [laughs]
you don't like-- - I don't like cold.
- Do you--you like your alcohol cold?
- I don't.
If I drink alcohol, I am sipping on some tequila,
and that's it.
- But is it ice-cold, or is it--
- It's straight. Yeah, that's right.
It's-- - Oh, wow.
- It's neat. It's neat, yeah.
- Wow. - Yeah, no.
- We'll talk later. - Yeah.
But it can be-- it can be hot or cold.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, I don't really drink a ton.
But when I do, yeah, I like to sip on tequila.
- I do too. That's my drink of choice.
A chaquila, champagne and tequila together.
- Oh, that sounds like a--
- That'll take you there!
- That sounds like a headache. - [imitates truck horn]
One way ticket to on the ground.
- I can't. I will get a headache.
I'm old.
- But yes, that's what's "Still Bad" is about.
It is my breakup song with the world.
And I put it early in the album
because, like I told you,
it's chronological. - Yeah.
- "Don't Make Me Love You" and "Still Bad"
are next to each other because I'm having this
complicated relationship with the world.
And by the end, I get that "you up?"
text from the world, and I'm like,
maybe I'll-- maybe I'll respond.
[laughter]
- Well, along with my whole band,
Lizzo and I took a moment to record
a live version of "Still Bad." Here's that performance.
[cheers and applause]
["Still Bad"]
* *
- Hey!
- * I'm about to throw my phone away *
* Can't let my girls know bro been [...] with my day *
* He act like he can't be replaced *
* OK *
* Well, he gon' hate to see me leave *
* But love to watch me walk away *
[together] * He knocked me down *
* I thought I'd never get my fine ass off the ground *
* Oh *
* But I'm ready now *
* Feeling crazy lately *
* Baby, let's go out *
* I don't need him, I need a drink *
* Let's turn this pain into some champagne, baby *
* Like cheers, bitch, it's been a day *
- [laughs]
[together] * Might take that last flight *
* Out to Vegas, what y'all think? *
- * OK *
[together] * I don't need him *
* I need a drink *
* I don't know why life feels so [...] up lately *
* But after everything, I'm still surviving *
* And I'm still bad, baby *
* So, bitch, I can't complain *
- * Period *
* I'm still bad, baby *
Tell 'em, Kelly.
- * Plot twist, I'm doing great *
* I make that been-through [...] look sexy anyway *
- Yeah, girl! - * I don't need him *
* I need to throw ass *
* Been a minute *
* Break fast with my bitches *
* Real love, real life *
* Damn, I've been missing *
- * He knocked me down *
[together] * I thought I'd never get *
* My fine ass off the ground *
* Oh *
* But I'm ready now *
* Feeling crazy lately *
* Baby, let's go out *
- * I don't need him *
* I need a drink *
[together] * Let's turn this pain *
* Into some champagne, baby *
* Like cheers, bitch, it's been a day *
* Might take that last flight out to Vegas *
* What y'all think? *
* I don't need him, I need a drink *
* I don't know why life's been so [...] up lately *
* But after everything *
* I'm still surviving, and I'm still bad, baby *
* So, bitch, I can't complain *
[cheers and applause]
- Give it up one more time for Lizzo!
[cheers and applause]
Thank you so much for joining us for "Songs & Stories."
Have a great evening, y'all. And if it's not, change it.
[upbeat music]
* *