Extended interview: Lizzo

0:00 Last time we sat down, Lizo, it was 2020, right before the Grammys.

0:04 Truth Hurts was everywhere.

0:06 You were everywhere.

0:07 You were on fire, as they say.

0:10 Fast forward to six years later, a lot has happened, negative and positive.

0:14 New music coming out.

0:15 I know you can't put all six years into one sentence,

0:18 but how are you feeling going from there to here?

0:21 I feel great.

0:23 I feel grown.

0:25 I do.

0:26 I feel grown.

0:27 I feel like a woman who knows what she's doing.

0:29 A woman who has control and agency over her life.

0:33 I feel like a bad I'm not going to hold you.

0:36 Mhm.

0:36 Will you have a song?

0:37 I'm a I'm her lover.

0:40 I'm her child.

0:41 Shout out Meredith Brooks, baby.

0:43 I think that's such an iconic song.

0:44 But also, we sample Missy Elliot.

0:47 She's a

0:48 And I feel like what both of those women did was they pushed that word forward

0:52 in a way that empowered it instead of taking the power away.

0:55 Like that's a word that used to get hurled at women.

0:58 Yeah.

0:58 You do use that word a lot, but

0:59 it's my favorite word.

1:00 And you use it because what what does it mean to you?

1:03 It can mean so many things.

1:04 It can mean look

1:07 It can mean

1:09 It can mean It can mean It has so many different meanings.

1:14 So, but you see it as an empowering word for yourself.

1:18 I do.

1:18 You do.

1:19 I mean, it just rolls off the tongue is I never saw it as a negative thing,

1:24 but I think I give all thanks to Missy Elliott and Mary Brooks

1:28 and the riot girl movement and that fourth

1:30 wave of feminism that pushed it forward.

1:32 I don't see it as a negative thing.

1:35 I think some people might.

1:37 Yes.

1:37 And I think it's controversial, but Yeah.

1:39 And I think people think, but Liz,

1:40 what about the young girls who are watching you?

1:43 What is your message to them?

1:45 Oh, be who you want to be.

1:47 Don't let anyone tear you down with words.

1:50 Take the power back.

1:51 Own it.

1:52 Because that's what I'm doing.

1:55 Well, you do seem to be in a really good place.

1:58 Really good place.

1:58 My aura is on a thousand.

2:01 Tell tell me about that now because it hasn't always been on a thousand.

2:04 Yeah.

2:04 But I think that's human, you know.

2:07 Um I was riding a wave and I was riding a high for a while.

2:13 And I think with highs come lows and I experienced some

2:16 lows and I did the work to get back up again.

2:21 And I feel incredible.

2:23 Yeah.

2:24 Like mind, body, and soul.

2:26 I really do.

2:27 I got this new space.

2:29 I got my puppy.

2:30 I got my man body tea.

2:33 My man.

2:33 My man.

2:34 Oh my man.

2:34 My man.

2:34 My man.

2:37 Yes.

2:36 I'm new music.

2:38 Children's book.

2:40 Like come on.

2:41 I can't complain.

2:42 Let's talk about the new music because last year

2:45 people thought Love in Real Life was coming out.

2:47 For whatever reason, it did not.

2:50 And now you're you're out now.

2:52 What happened between Love and Real Life to where we are today?

2:56 You tell me.

2:57 What happened to the Love and Real Life?

3:00 Yeah.

2:59 I think I think we can all ask that question and it's relevant when it

3:04 Did the studio delay it or you delayed it?

3:07 Oh, me.

3:07 It's all me.

3:08 I'm an artist.

3:08 I didn't delay anything.

3:10 I think for me I am an artist and I wanted to explore.

3:16 I think that I have been working on an album and I

3:19 put a lot of pressure on me for a long time.

3:21 And I think what I learned last year was like I'm here to make music.

3:25 I'm here to give music to my fans and I got to do that in a free way.

3:29 Like I put out music.

3:30 I put out a mixtape.

3:31 My face hurts from smiling.

3:32 Then I was like oh I want to do it again.

3:34 My face still hurts from smiling

3:36 because I just wanted to give to my fans free music.

3:39 all you and we turned up at the rodeo.

3:42 They was like, "We outside, ho.

3:44 We have 70,000 people saying we outside, ho." That's my dream.

3:48 But that was a bucket list for you to be cuz it's not just any rodeo.

3:52 It's the Houston rodeo.

3:55 Yeah.

3:54 In a stadium.

3:55 That was my first ever soldout stadium.

3:57 Many more to come.

3:59 Many more to come.

4:00 Tell me about the new music.

4:01 What it says about you at this time in your life.

4:04 There's so many happy to Happy to be.

4:08 Yes.

4:08 Um, I'll say this.

4:10 One of my gifts and and the reason why I'm here

4:13 is because we all go through we all go through hard times.

4:17 We've all we all go through depression.

4:19 My job is to articulate how I get out of it through song.

4:23 And Happy to Be is one of my favorite songs because of that.

4:26 And when I was writing it, I started getting emotional because I was like,

4:30 I can't wait to sing this on tour.

4:31 I can't wait to sing this to all my fans, 20,000 people every single night.

4:36 Like, you hold me down.

4:37 I want to give you my hug.

4:41 Like, I can't wait to sing that to them.

4:43 Many people think it's about Mike, but you've had love in your life.

4:46 Many people do because listen the lyric only you understand me.

4:50 You fill me up completely.

4:52 And when I'm self-destructive, you make me

4:54 You make me feel so pretty.

4:56 You always pull me closer to let me know that it's real.

5:00 It is.

5:00 I mean, it my songs are about love

5:03 and I think love has so many different channels.

5:05 romantic love, love for my fans,

5:07 love for my family, love for myself first and foremost.

5:10 But yeah, he he do that for me.

5:12 But the thing that was so great is it it seems like you all were friends first.

5:16 Do you know what I mean?

5:17 You all were friends and then it then it evolved.

5:22 Yeah.

5:21 Into a really loving relationship from the outside looking in.

5:24 That's how it looks.

5:25 Is do I have it right?

5:26 That's what happened.

5:27 And I think

5:28 that's the best way because I wasn't look they like how do you find love?

5:33 You find love when you're not looking for love.

5:35 Oh boy.

5:36 Everybody says that, but you're like,

5:37 "Is he over there in the corner?" Everybody say, "I promise you all everything,

5:40 but it's like you got to really be focused on your path." Like,

5:44 I was meditating and praying about selflove.

5:48 I was reading books about self-love during that time.

5:51 And I think when you really do that, you

5:53 magnetize something and you attract what you deserve.

5:56 Like I was sleep over rose quartz like how do I love myself?

6:00 How do I love myself unconditionally?

6:03 Little Black Cat.

6:04 Oh, now that song is about my man,

6:10 especially that last verse where it's like, I want to go to Honolulu,

6:13 put some Hulu on and hey, kiss me on my boo boo and split me in tutu.

6:18 But in that, you also talk about your psychic.

6:20 People thought, Liza, what does a psychic do for you?

6:24 She is because that's very woowoo for a lot of people.

6:26 Very wo woo.

6:27 And mind you, I grew up in a codic church.

6:30 So, psychics and fortune tellers,

6:32 I was always kind of like I stayed away from that because it scared me.

6:36 I didn't want nobody to tell me nothing dark or negative.

6:39 And I this woman came into my life and she's my friend.

6:44 Wendy Leelad, that is my friend.

6:47 Um, and what she does is she doesn't look

6:50 into a crystal ball and tell you your future.

6:53 She's more of just like uh sharing energy with you.

6:56 So, I sit with her sometimes and she'll just know things.

6:59 She was like, "Are you getting a dog?" And I was like, "No."

7:03 This was like November.

7:04 Before you had a dog.

7:05 Yes.

7:06 And I was like, "Girl, no.

7:07 I'm not getting no dog." She was like,

7:08 "I see a dog like right here next to you." And mind you,

7:11 I wasn't planning on buying no dog.

7:12 I wasn't think I wasn't in the market.

7:14 I got a dog on Christmas Eve as a gift.

7:18 And I was like, Wendy, do you think that's the psychic or do you just think

7:21 somebody thought enough of you to get you a puppy for Christmas?

7:24 I think it's both.

7:25 I don't think that she I I think that our our destiny is happening.

7:29 And I think we're all connected in ways that we don't even realize.

7:33 You know what I mean?

7:34 Like cuz I've I've experienced it with talking to a medium and being like,

7:39 "How did you know this?" And she's like, "I'm just formless.

7:42 We're all connected, one mind,

7:44 you know, and it made me really think about that on a deeper level.

7:47 We all go to concerts together.

7:49 We all put our hands up in the air at the same time.

7:51 We all cheer at the same time.

7:53 And I do experience how we're all connected when I'm

7:56 at my shows and I'm looking out at the audience.

7:58 There's something to that.

7:59 It's magical.

8:00 We're more magical than we realize.

8:02 I believe that music, food, sports, very universal, very healing.

8:06 As as the music's coming out, are you worried that God,

8:09 I hope people really like it because you put out music in the past,

8:12 it didn't do as well as you wanted it to.

8:15 Do you worry that oh my gosh, I really hope they like this?

8:18 When did that happen?

8:20 No.

8:22 You know what I wanted?

8:24 I wanted to I mean, I hear artists really get caught up on that.

8:27 That's why I'm wondering.

8:28 You know, it's so funny.

8:29 It I think that it happens once you get in the industry and you start charting.

8:35 And I remember before I had ever had a song that charted,

8:38 I was looking at other people at my label

8:40 and they were looking at the numbers and they were looking

8:42 at the numbers for their own stuff and it was like

8:44 the plus 300 and I don't even know what those numbers mean.

8:47 And I was like, "What are y'all doing?" They're like,

8:48 "We're just going to see who's going to be

8:50 number one next week." And I was like,

8:51 "Okay." And I remember when I was an indie artist,

8:54 cuz I was an indie artist for 10 years,

8:56 I had told myself when I released Truth Hurts, I was like,

8:59 "I am happy with touring, being being a successful touring artist.

9:03 I don't ever need a Grammy.

9:05 I don't ever I don't ever need a number one song.

9:09 Really, my dream is to be able to tour forever.

9:10 I want to tour until I'm 80 like Tina Turner.

9:13 And I want to be on stage and I want to sing a song and I

9:15 want them all to sing it back to me." And I made that vow to myself.

9:19 And then after that, number one song, Guinness World Book of Record,

9:23 number one song, four Grammys, Emmy, and I never expected.

9:29 And I told myself, okay, that was fun.

9:32 Don't expect it again because I'm just so happy to be

9:37 making music and to be able to tour and share my gift.

9:40 Anything on top of that is a cherry on top.

9:42 So you don't put pressure on yourself that I want this song to be a hit.

9:45 I want to go back to the Truth Hurts days.

9:48 I want to go back to

9:49 I didn't know Truth Hurst was gonna be a hit though.

9:51 And so I think that like that's what saves me.

9:53 It took two years for that song to go number one.

9:55 I know I put out in 2017.

9:57 It went number one in 2019.

9:59 So for me to expect that to happen again,

10:02 like I've never had a song go immediately number one.

10:04 It's about damn time.

10:05 It's about damn time.

10:06 But that took a few weeks, too.

10:08 I'm a grower, not a shower.

10:12 So you don't put you don't put pressure

10:13 on yourself that I hope people like this.

10:16 I want this to be a hit for me.

10:17 You don't

10:18 put I put pressure on myself to make really good music.

10:22 Like really I I wanna I my craft is music.

10:26 I studied music in college.

10:29 Like I studied music theory and that's what I'm good at.

10:32 Like I'm never going to give you slop.

10:34 You know what I mean?

10:34 I'm always going to give you craft.

10:36 And I feel like real ones get it cuz whenever I talk

10:38 to a real musician or a muso or people who are just music heads,

10:42 they go, "You underrated.

10:44 you're a goat when it comes to this songwriting,

10:46 when it comes to this music and this production.

10:49 I'm like, "Thank you for seeing me." And that's all that matters to me.

10:52 And I got 20,000 people every night singing my music.

10:55 I What more could I want, honey?

10:59 Yeah.

10:58 Maybe 70,000 people every night.

11:01 No, Lizo.

11:01 I like when you said, uh, I didn't care if I got a Grammy.

11:04 Now, I know that's not true.

11:06 Just the other day, you said you were not

11:07 going to have sex until you had a Grammy.

11:10 And I'm thinking, A, why did you tell us that?

11:12 And B, so I that's not true.

11:14 You didn't want to get a Grammy.

11:15 You would have gone through life celibate.

11:17 That would have been okay with you.

11:18 That's not true.

11:19 Okay.

11:19 Okay.

11:19 Okay.

11:21 You better clock my teeth, Miss Gil.

11:23 Okay.

11:24 First off, Benny Bl.

11:25 You said it.

11:25 I didn't.

11:26 You said it.

11:26 Benny Black is a very um he's like I His podcast

11:31 is so interesting because you don't realize you're being filmed.

11:33 Yes.

11:34 There's just cameras.

11:35 Now, you know, you are sense to it.

11:39 Yes.

11:38 But when you're there, you just get so comfortable.

11:41 like I have been drinking wine and we had all just

11:43 been bonding and it's not something that I'm ashamed of, you know.

11:47 I didn't say you needed to be ashamed of it.

11:49 Yeah, that's why I said it cuz I'm like whatever.

11:52 Um but

11:53 but was did you really mean that?

11:54 Did you really do that?

11:55 You said I'm not going to ask

11:56 till a Grammy.

11:57 You know what?

11:57 I gave myself I was a really really really focused person.

12:03 I was super focused on my craft ever since I was a little girl.

12:06 Like I was auditioning girl groups in the fifth grade.

12:09 Okay.

12:09 My first girl group was in the third grade.

12:11 I was writing music for my marching band, like radio songs.

12:15 I always had a vision to be a musician and a successful one.

12:20 I think I gave myself such an impossible goal.

12:26 Yeah.

12:25 Of winning a Grammy that maybe it justified

12:28 why I was putting it off for so long.

12:30 And then when it happened, I said, "Oh, guess I'm cracking." Yeah.

12:35 That's what That's what happened for you.

12:37 Yeah.

12:38 So, cuz I couldn't tell if you were kidding with Benny or that was really true.

12:42 No, I was That's serious.

12:43 That's real.

12:44 And it wasn't just till I get a Grammy.

12:46 Obviously, that's funny.

12:47 That's a joke.

12:48 But I thought that romantic love and and sex was a distraction for me.

12:55 And I had focused so hard and worked so hard on music.

12:59 And I've been through so much, Gail.

13:02 Like when you sleep on somebody's floor,

13:05 when you're sleeping in a roachinfested studio

13:08 on the east side of Houston, Texas,

13:12 by yourself as a young black girl, nobody around.

13:15 When you're sleeping in your t-bone Subaru, like,

13:18 and then you finally make it to where I can

13:21 pay for a house for me and my my family.

13:25 Yes.

13:25 Man, yes.

13:25 Like, I had to get up out of those trenches.

13:28 And so, I stayed focused.

13:29 I didn't want nothing getting me off my square.

13:32 And that's what it was to you.

13:33 Just staying focused.

13:35 Yes.

13:35 Staying focused.

13:35 No, I didn't think it was anything you needed to needed to be ashamed of.

13:38 I was just surprised that you shared it, but I'm not knocking it.

13:42 I'm not, you know, I don't think it's I don't even think it's a negative thing.

13:47 Yeah.

13:46 I just think it speaks to Wow.

13:48 She has a lot of uh resilience.

13:51 Yeah.

13:51 She she got a lot of resilience.

13:53 I thought I mean I love Jesus.

13:55 So, you know, that was a huge part.

13:56 I was like Jesus got me.

13:57 Music is my boyfriend.

13:59 No, no.

14:00 I mean, when you said sleeping, just think about that.

14:03 Sleeping in a car, sleeping at on couches,

14:05 sleeping in roach infested places to where

14:07 you live today in the Los Angeles area.

14:10 Look at this place,

14:12 girl.

14:12 Every day I wake up in gratitude.

14:13 Like, every day I wake up and I can't believe it.

14:16 But I created this from the ground up.

14:19 I really built this on my own.

14:21 I was shooting in the gym and nobody was around.

14:24 And now I'm here at the championship game and I'm just and honestly

14:28 championship game cutting down the net.

14:30 Go ahead.

14:30 Hello baby.

14:31 I'm cutting down the net.

14:32 I'm kissing the trophy.

14:34 And now I'm just celebrating.

14:36 It's like there's really for me there's nothing else to do but celebrate.

14:40 So every day I wake up, I celebrate.

14:42 How can I help?

14:43 How can I shine light?

14:44 How can I beam this into the world?

14:46 How can I make somebody's day a little bit brighter, a little bit better?

14:49 everything I do, even when I say stuff online,

14:53 whatever, I'm always trying to help.

14:57 Always.

14:57 But sometimes it does seem like you get caught up

14:59 in line online engaging with people who don't wish you well.

15:04 Yeah.

15:04 And you're going back and forth with them.

15:05 I don't understand that.

15:07 I think that those days

15:09 I don't think it's helpful for you.

15:11 No.

15:13 Yeah.

15:12 I don't think it's helpful for anyone.

15:13 I Those days are definitely

15:17 behind me for the most part.

15:18 What do you mean?

15:18 But I Well, I have like new rules for myself.

15:26 Okay.

15:26 If I don't have anything positive or helpful to say

15:30 about something or if I don't fully know about it, don't speak on it.

15:35 I don't read comments.

15:36 Do not read comments, good or bad.

15:38 Agree.

15:38 Agree.

15:39 I don't check no stats.

15:41 Agree.

15:40 I don't check no numbers.

15:42 I don't I don't check for nothing.

15:44 I post or actually recently, this is the first time ever,

15:47 I've had my label post for me

15:51 because I don't even want to be in that world anymore.

15:55 Something about the internet has changed.

15:56 And mind you, I love the internet.

15:59 I'm a part of that generation of artists who

16:02 we kind of really got started off of the internet, but it's so toxic now, Lizo.

16:06 It's not even like where the real people are.

16:10 Yeah.

16:10 It's not even where the real people are.

16:12 like the real people are in the streets, the real people are in the stands.

16:16 But you're also a very opinionated person and you

16:19 want to be able to share your opinions, too.

16:23 Correct.

16:22 I DON'T YOU DON'T you don't you don't

16:25 girl.

16:26 No, I don't want to share my opinions on nothing.

16:30 Okay.

16:30 You know what?

16:31 You know where I like to share my opinions now?

16:33 In person over tea, over alcohol.

16:36 Okay.

16:36 The new music because it was um Love in Real Life.

16:40 What is the name of this music?

16:42 Because I still don't know what is the name of this music.

16:44 Have you decided?

16:45 The album is called

16:50 That's what it's called.

16:51 After the song, I always have a title track.

16:55 And I thought that this song was perfect.

16:58 It was the perfect song.

16:59 And you've already explained what the word means.

17:01 Go ahead.

17:01 You thought it was a perfect song.

17:03 I thought it was a perfect song.

17:04 It is a good song, too, I have to say.

17:06 Yeah, it's it's a

17:07 I was I was singing I bet.

17:09 and boss.

17:09 You also interchange the word and boss.

17:11 Yes.

17:12 Boss.

17:12 Um I'm a queen.

17:13 I'm a mess.

17:14 I'm everything.

17:15 Everything in between.

17:17 Yeah.

17:17 Yeah.

17:18 It It's a reclamation, you know.

17:21 Um in the album cover, I am standing

17:24 in this like beautiful celebratory pose and it's

17:27 like smiling in the face of any negativity or any or anything like that.

17:33 And I want to encourage I I have a special note in my vinyl

17:36 and in my CDs to all the my fans who who buy the music to reclaim anything

17:43 the word reclaim any like whether it's whether it's the way

17:47 I reclaim fat and I'm like oh I'm fat.

17:50 Yeah I have fat and I have a fat ass.

17:52 What's good?

17:53 Like you know I reclaim these things that are hurled at me and I turn them

17:56 into something that empowers me and I take

17:59 the power away from the person throwing them at me.

18:01 And I want to encourage everyone else to do that.

18:03 Yeah.

18:04 I mean, the whole thing about your weight has been just an ongoing conversation.

18:08 Ever since you came on the scene, actually, really,

18:11 I mean, people seem to you were criticized for being overweight.

18:15 You were criticized for losing weight.

18:17 You call it big girl skinny, your words.

18:19 You were criticized for does she not embrace her body anymore?

18:22 Where do you stand with your body today?

18:24 How do I not embrace my body?

18:26 How could I not, honey?

18:28 Um, I stand in the same place I've always stood,

18:32 which is

18:33 I love my body.

18:34 I love myself.

18:36 Um, but people say, "Why would she lose weight if she loved her body?"

18:40 Well, because I was going through a transformation.

18:47 I had a really kind of intimate period in my life

18:52 where I was working on my mind, my body, and my spirit.

18:57 Mhm.

18:58 I made an intentional decision to release.

19:02 I released the anxiety I was going through.

19:06 I released depression and I also released some weight on my body.

19:10 I'm not a skinny person.

19:13 I will never

19:14 Are you trying to be Are you trying to be a skinny person?

19:16 No.

19:18 Uhhuh.

19:17 I don't think I could.

19:20 I and I and I love I mean if I

19:22 came out today as a brand new artist with this body,

19:26 I would still get the same criticisms I got.

19:28 You would still be considered overweight.

19:32 Absolutely.

19:32 And I still get fat jokes.

19:33 People still make fat jokes about me on the internet.

19:35 Nothing's changed.

19:36 We're all good.

19:38 And my real ones who know me,

19:40 the people who truly know me as an artist and follow me, they get it.

19:44 They understand what self-love means.

19:47 They understand that it's a journey, you know,

19:49 and they don't put me in a box where I have to stay

19:52 the same forever because I've always promised that I'm going to change.

19:55 And what was most helpful to you in losing the weight

19:59 because there's all sorts of specul you made it clear I didn't do G.

20:01 You said you tried GLP once but it didn't work for you.

20:05 So to answer your first question,

20:07 which was really scary and controversial for me.

20:11 I was like so nervous to put this on the internet,

20:13 but I started eating meat, animal protein again,

20:19 and cuz I had been a vegan and I was doing all these vegan recipes and

20:24 and I started eating protein or animal protein and that really just

20:31 Yeah,

20:30 that was like the biggest thing for me.

20:32 Like my body was so happy.

20:34 That was like a big one for me.

20:36 And um cuz I always worked out.

20:38 I always posted my

20:39 Always worked out.

20:40 Yeah, I always post my workouts on there was videos of me running

20:43 and singing doing the Miley Cyrus thing and and they were like, "Well,

20:47 she got stamina cuz I could perform for 90 minutes on stage." Um,

20:52 but yeah, my current weight loss,

20:54 the thing that everybody saw this weight release journey,

20:56 I did not use a GOP one at all.

20:59 Would you have?

21:01 Honestly, I don't knock anyone who does it.

21:03 I I'm not trying to shame anyone cuz I'll tell you one thing,

21:06 it's not easy no matter how you do it.

21:09 Oh my goodness.

21:11 I know someone who's on a GLP1 now and she was like,

21:14 if I don't eat right, it doesn't work.

21:16 And I'm like, yeah, you still have to put the work in.

21:19 And so I don't knock anyone who did it.

21:22 Cuz at one point you said, I tried it and it didn't work.

21:24 Or did you not try it?

21:25 I I don't know.

21:26 Here's I I really want to be careful because

21:28 the internet will take things and take it out of context.

21:34 Yeah.

21:33 years ago before this current version of myself

21:37 where you saw me release the weight.

21:39 This weight release was done with a um calorie deficit, cardio,

21:47 protein, getting rest, managing my cortisol.

21:49 But years ago, I tried a GLP1 for a little minute, but it did not work for me.

21:54 I was, and this was before it was even well known like that,

21:59 I'm scared of needles and it just did not work out for me.

22:01 So, I just didn't do it.

22:03 And so, when I decided to do the weight release journey in 2023,

22:08 which was years after,

22:10 I was like, I'm going to have to do it the oldfashioned way.

22:14 And I did and it worked for me.

22:16 Are you happy with your body now?

22:17 Are you still trying to lose weight?

22:18 Where do you stand?

22:19 I'm gaining weight.

22:21 I love fat.

22:23 I've gained 20 lbs and I'm so happy.

22:26 There's a video of me from last year.

22:28 Sorry, I got so excited.

22:29 No, but you said back in the day gaining weight gave you more confidence.

22:33 Yes.

22:34 Last year I had I did like a a Yeti haul.

22:37 Shout out Yi.

22:39 And I had a string bikini on and if you watch the video

22:41 I'm kind of covering my stomach like this and I'm like look at this.

22:44 This is so cute.

22:46 And I was like what was going on?

22:47 And I feel like the smaller I was getting

22:50 the less like curvaceious I was feeling in my body.

22:54 The less curvalicious.

22:55 And since then, I've gained about 20 lbs and I feel so sexy.

22:59 I feel so juicy and dumplinish.

23:01 Are you sick of all the conversation about your weight or you just said,

23:04 "Look, this is what it is, people.

23:06 I signed up for it.

23:07 I'm fine.

23:22 When you first heard that a lawsuit had been filed about you,

23:25 about that topic, what did you think?

23:28 It's not true.

23:30 And the position that I was in, I I knew the responsibility

23:36 I had to not go out and say just whatever I wanted.

23:41 Yeah.

23:42 Um,

23:42 you took it very seriously.

23:43 Yeah, absolutely.

23:44 Because of what I mean to people.

23:48 Yeah.

23:47 But I knew they weren't true and now everyone knows they're not true.

23:52 And I'm looking forward to all of them being dropped.

24:12 I've heard people say, "You should just settle.

24:14 Make it go away." And you've said, "No, I'm not settling." I'm not.

24:18 And I think most people would.

24:20 I think it is an easy out,

24:22 but I'm fighting the case because I know that it's not true.

24:28 Just like the fat shaming one is not true.

24:31 It's an ongoing case, so I can't talk about like all the details,

24:35 but I cannot wait for it to be dismissed.

24:38 But the allegations, I'm looking forward to it.

24:41 Everybody says they're not going to settle until they do.

24:44 Number one, everybody says that.

24:45 But the allegations are so lewd and so salacious, you know.

24:50 They claim members of your team that you encourage them

24:54 or you enforce you force them to engage with new dancers.

24:59 What do you say to that?

25:01 What they allege is not true and I look forward to it being dismissed.

25:08 I really do.

25:09 Could it be that people think because you're the boss because you're the boss.

25:13 They said, "Well, we have to do whatever the boss says." Do

25:16 you think that on in their shoes that's what they were thinking?

25:21 I don't know what they were thinking.

25:24 Okay.

25:23 I really don't.

25:24 Um and I couldn't tell you why.

25:27 You you would be prepared, Lizo, to take the witness stand and testify.

25:32 Absolutely.

25:32 Absolutely.

25:33 And I would look fabulous while doing it.

25:35 But even though it'll bring out

25:36 more salacious details about your life, possibly.

25:41 Possibly

25:44 the truth the truth will come out.

25:49 Okay.

25:48 And that's why I'm not afraid of it.

25:50 You're not afraid?

25:52 No, not at all.

25:54 I'm not afraid of the truth.

25:55 The truth is less salacious than the headlines.

25:59 Do you think those allegations hurt you when it came to your music?

26:03 Because after the lawsuit was filed,

26:06 this was 2024, you went online and you said,

26:08 "I quit." I remember being very concerned when I

26:11 saw that because I didn't know if it meant

26:13 you were quitting life, you were thinking of quitting life,

26:16 you were thinking about quitting music, you were thinking about going away.

26:19 That that particular post set off a lot of alarm bells.

26:23 Do you think those allegations have hurt you?

26:26 I'll say this, I was at the end of my tour.

26:30 Yeah.

26:30 literally the last show when all of this happened and I had been

26:35 planning to take one to two years to work on my next album.

26:40 That's typically before this new paradigm of

26:45 fast music.

26:47 Yeah.

26:46 Artists would take one to two years to like work on their album.

26:49 So I had already planned on taking some time.

26:53 So to be honest,

26:55 I couldn't tell you.

26:57 Couldn't tell me what

26:58 I couldn't tell you if it hurt my music.

27:00 hurt your music.

27:01 But yeah, but did it hurt you?

27:02 Because there are two courts.

27:03 There's a court of public opinion and then there is a legal courts.

27:07 Do you worry about either one of those?

27:09 Do you worry about the court of public opinion?

27:12 Because the press was not good.

27:13 I know you know it wasn't good and I'm just wondering

27:16 how that affected you because when you put out I quit,

27:19 it was very alarming to people who care about you.

27:22 I've experienced so much growth, personal growth,

27:28 and I'm really grateful right now where I'm at, like in this present moment,

27:34 everything that I've been through my entire life.

27:36 We've talked about it, sleeping on floors, sleeping in cars,

27:40 not knowing where my next meal going to be, showering at a gym.

27:44 This I can survive anything.

27:47 And I have and I feel so good right now that the past is the past

27:53 and I'm moving forward.

27:55 Everything is forwardleaning.

27:57 The tour, the music, the book, my movies, the album.

28:02 Like, I am here.

28:06 Ready.

28:05 I'm so ready, girl.

28:07 I am so ready.

28:09 Yeah.

28:09 I'm light years ahead.

28:12 Yeah.

28:11 And I'm not afraid of anything.

28:12 But the process about the music

28:14 and people's reaction to the music about anything.

28:17 You you do seem so centered and so calm to me.

28:20 Yeah.

28:21 Cuz I know the music is good and I know my heart is good.

28:25 So if I know that I have nothing to worry about.

28:29 People are going to say what they want to say.

28:31 They going to think what they going to think.

28:33 That's just what I signed up for.

28:35 And that's just the that's what everyone kind of signs

28:37 up for now with the nature of social media.

28:40 M

28:40 so if I can move forward with my head held high,

28:44 knowing my heart and knowing my craft and believing in that, then

28:47 maybe I can inspire other people to do it, too.

28:50 Cuz that's why I'm here.

28:52 Yeah.

28:51 I'm not here to let somebody knock me off my square.

28:54 You can't knock me off my square.

28:55 God got me right on my square, honey.

28:59 In a poochie dress.

29:00 Nasty in a poochie dress.

29:02 I know.

29:03 But when I HEAR YOU LAUGH, I think, is that real?

29:06 Is that a real laugh?

29:07 Or she is or is she deflecting?

29:10 No.

29:10 Absolutely not.

29:11 Absolutely not.

29:13 What does this body language mean?

29:15 I'm very open.

29:16 I'm very open.

29:19 I just also have to protect myself.

29:22 And that was a big thing that I've learned is like protect my heart.

29:28 Yes.

29:26 You know, like protect the uh baby version of Melissa,

29:32 my inner child who used to lead and pull me along.

29:36 baby baby Melissa.

29:38 My inner child would drag Lizo along and be like,

29:41 "Let's help this person or let's do this or that looks

29:44 cool or and now I'm like, you get behind me.

29:48 I'll let you sit in the studio.

29:49 Do you have boundaries?" Because part of the problem

29:52 people say is that you become very close

29:54 to people and that sometimes lines get blurred about

29:57 friendships or co-workers or people that you deal with.

30:01 Do you have a new set of rules for boundaries on how you handle things?

30:05 I am a recovering people pleaser.

30:08 When I was young, I was the friend that everybody would get in my car.

30:13 I'd drive us to the movies.

30:14 If I had the money, I was buying McDonald's.

30:17 Like, I would always give everything to the people

30:23 that I cared about and the people around me.

30:25 Um, I was like a what's mine is yours kind of person.

30:29 And now,

30:30 and in that, I've allowed people to take advantage of me.

30:33 And now I have learned how to not let that happen.

30:37 Um, how to protect my peace, protect my heart,

30:40 protect what I have and my boundaries.

30:43 I mean, I could count

30:44 I can count on less than one hand the true friends that you truly trust.

30:48 Yeah.

30:48 And and honestly, I'm not in the market of adding any fingers.

30:55 Yes.

30:54 I'm good.

30:54 I'm very good with what I got.

30:56 What's on your wish list to accomplish this year?

31:00 Ah, I feel like it's happening, but I just can't say it out loud to people.

31:04 But I can tell you now, um,

31:08 the my album was like a big one for me and like

31:11 doing it my way I think was really exciting for me.

31:14 This is what you did your way because there the thing there the song

31:17 too nice too nice when you just said you'd pick up the check.

31:20 Too nice.

31:21 I would pick up the check for people but who's checking on me?

31:25 That line got to me honestly.

31:27 Does that sort of describe you?

31:29 That song too.

31:30 That song gets everybody.

31:32 Like everybody like

31:34 everyone who hears that song goes, "Wow, you got me thinking about how I was too

31:37 nice or how I let people take advantage of me tonight.

31:44 Tonight." I love that song because it's it's overly relatable.

31:49 Like it's not just a rich famous person can sing that and understand it.

31:53 Honestly, like anyone can understand that because we all have done that.

31:56 We've all been that person.

31:57 Like it's on me.

31:58 It's on me.

31:59 Don't worry.

31:59 Don't worry, Dorine.

32:00 And that person is like, "Okay,

32:01 it's always on you." And they never consider you.

32:04 And when you stop calling that person, you stop checking on that person,

32:07 you stop texting that person and they don't hit you and you be like,

32:10 "Let me see how long we going to let this rock

32:12 and you just you just stop engaging and they don't engage back." I'm like,

32:16 "Wow, I'm doing I'm doing all of the heavy lifting here.

32:20 I'm the one keeping this relationship alive."

32:22 But your people pleasing days are over.

32:24 Over.

32:25 Only person I'll please is Michael Iman Kandandy.

32:28 Right, honey?

32:29 Yes.

32:29 Yes.

32:29 Yes.

32:30 Yes.

32:31 What does he mean to you?

32:32 How do you know?

32:32 How did you know he was the one for you?

32:36 Because I've never How do I say this?

32:41 How do I say this in a way?

32:43 I'm going say it.

32:45 Being in love and being in a relationship and getting married

32:49 and having kids was not something that I was expecting in this lifetime.

32:55 I was very much I mean, you know, I was like,

32:58 I got Jesus and music is my boyfriend and I'm just

33:00 going to my my albums are my babies and I'm good.

33:04 I have great relationships with people, you know, I can have hot affairs maybe.

33:09 But I think it's because everything fits so

33:14 perfectly with him and we're it's like it's eerily

33:18 perfect where it's like wow like you were literally

33:21 made for me like God designed you for me and he feels the same

33:26 and yes he feels the same and I feel like

33:29 well I can't speak for him but you know he act

33:31 like it but um I feel like a a good thing

33:35 to note is if that person challenges you to be better.

33:39 He always challenges me to be better.

33:41 Even the hardest times, I'm like, damn, I grew from this.

33:46 I like that.

33:47 That's how you know.

33:49 Yeah.

33:49 When the hard times is just making you worse.

33:52 Get out.

33:52 You said marriage and b marriage marriage and kids

33:55 were not on your in on on your to-do list.

33:58 Now, is it on your bingo card?

34:01 Anything can happen in bingo.

34:03 Yeah.

34:04 You're not pregnant as we sit here today.

34:06 Don't let this interview come out in a week later.

34:08 She goes, "Oh, I'M 3 MONTHS PREGNANT." OH MY GOD, BABY.

34:12 Or I'm ALREADY GOTTEN MARRIED, RIGHT?

34:14 I'M LIKE, "NO, I GOT TO I GOT TO BE HERE for the summer.

34:16 We y'all need me for the summer." But on your list to accomplish the music.

34:21 The music.

34:22 Um the children's book um Lil Lzo meets uh Sasha B fluting.

34:27 I'm so excited about that.

34:29 This has been years in the making

34:31 and I I'm really excited about going and being able to read to young people.

34:35 Yeah.

34:36 And just getting ready for your own children to come.

34:38 Should you desire all you desire that I cannot wait to tour.

34:42 I cannot wait.

34:44 You don't understand.

34:44 This is who I am.

34:46 I'm a live I'm a live performer.

34:48 I do think there's something though that a song you

34:49 wrote started on a piece of paper on your computer.

34:52 You're on the stage and everybody's singing the words.

34:54 I can't think of a better high than that.

34:56 I really can't.

34:57 And the fact that you were at the Blue Note, too.

34:59 Let's talk about that because everybody was there wanted to see you.

35:03 Yep.

35:03 And the room was so filled with love for you.

35:07 Yeah.

35:06 And it was it was surprising though to see you in such a small setting.

35:09 But but that feeds you too.

35:11 This is all part of the process rolling out this album.

35:14 I'm a I'm a real musician.

35:17 Like I studied flute since I was 11 years old.

35:21 I've performed in concert bands or marching bands or girl

35:24 bands or rock bands or rap crews my entire life.

35:30 That that is what I need.

35:32 I need to be able to perform in a small room where you can

35:35 smell somebody's French fries and your toe

35:38 getting their coffee on accident while you singing.

35:40 I need that.

35:41 As much as I love playing for 70,000 people a week later, I need both.

35:47 I need to be a musician and then I need to be a superstar.

35:50 And so I'm always going to oscillate between the two.

35:52 I'm going to be that girl on a stadium tour

35:55 pulling up to the Smoky Lounge afterwards like and singing,

35:58 you know, deep cuts with a band.

36:00 And how do you protect your mental health?

36:02 Especially the superstar part.

36:04 How do you protect your mental health?

36:06 I let Lizo lead.

36:08 I let Lizo lead.

36:10 And I've never understood that before, Gail.

36:11 Like, I still don't understand.

36:13 I would be like, I let Lizo lead.

36:15 Well, it's like the persona thing, like the artist being like, okay,

36:20 there's me and then there's the artist.

36:23 And I'm like, I'm just me all the time.

36:25 I can't separate the two.

36:27 Right.

36:27 But I'm learning how to allow Lizo

36:30 the superstar be in front and then there's Melissa

36:34 back here and then there's baby Melissa behind her and I got to I got a shot.

36:40 You can't come back here and and mess with baby Lizo.

36:44 But the superstar me is just like I really am starting to hone her in.

36:50 This is a work in progress.

36:51 Okay.

36:51 But it really started at the Blue Note when I stood there and I was

36:56 able to just sing and be real and raw and perform and show the world

37:01 up close and personal.

37:02 Yeah.

37:02 But I never ever got to be free in that.

37:04 I never got to really show off like cuz when you play arenas,

37:08 everything is to like a track.

37:09 Everything's on a grid.

37:11 So as soon as you come up on that elevator,

37:13 that lift, and the lights are up, you can't really deviate.

37:16 Even my flute solos and stuff and banter,

37:19 you can't truly deviate because you're performing.

37:22 It's a high risk for 20,000 people every night.

37:25 You got 80 people working in concert to make this show happen.

37:29 At the blue note, it's just me and four people up there.

37:32 So, I can do whatever I want.

37:34 And I can look back and look at the drummer and be like, "Keep going.

37:37 Vamp a little bit." Or on flute,

37:38 I can play Carnival Avenice, the a fast classical piece,

37:42 and I can slow down and I can speed up if I want.

37:45 And it just reminded me, I'm that Yes, I really am talented.

37:49 And I used to play myself a lot and be like, man, maybe I'm not.

37:53 No, girl, snap out of it.

37:55 So So you that and it is.

37:58 Yes, it is.

37:59 Yes, ma'am.

38:01 Bravo.

38:04 Oh, bravo.

38:03 You're the best.

38:03 Bravo.