The truth doesn’t always have to hurt. Lizzo has dedicated herself to helping women accept and love their bodies in the same way that she does. From her efforts, she has delivered countless anthems and motivational quotes to keep her fans on the track toward better body positivity.
“It definitely comes with time,” the Grammy winner told Us Weekly exclusively in September 2019. “I wasn’t really given the opportunities or the privileges to feel like a sex symbol when I was growing up. I was a fat black girl in Houston and I didn’t see myself in magazines.”
Once Lizzo (real name Melissa Jefferson) entered her twenties, things changed. “I was like, ‘You know what, bitch? I want to be a sex symbol!’” she recalled. “I said that to myself when I was like 22, 23. And I really started to embrace the sexiness about me, not just the cuteness or the beauty. I started to work on it more and more, and I realized the vulnerability that I show when I’m naked is my greatest strength.”
The “Good as Hell” singer quickly became a source for inspiration as her career skyrocketed. “It’s hard because self-love and self-confidence is a personal journey. You’re never gonna believe it until you believe in yourself,” she told Us. “But luckily, now we have so many people you can see yourself in. You can go on the internet or look on TV and see people who were really marginalized and underrepresented in the past. That’s the most important thing. You have to see yourself, find yourself somewhere out there. You’ve got to go on that journey — and I believe in you.”
Lizzo also revealed how she decides which naysayers to confront. “I have the best comebacks for trolls. I can put them in their place!” she teased. “But if I do it, I’m feeding the troll and giving it attention. Back in the day, I used to give trolls all the time, but now that I’ve got 4 million followers, man, [I’m not] gonna give somebody a check and 15 minutes of fame! I love being petty, though!”
Scroll down to revisit the times the songstress has used her platform to promote body positivity.