Speaking Her Truth: Lizzo’s Good as Hell Tour

Webster Hall, NY - 6/15/2017

BY: DOMO

Surrounded by her incredibly talented plus-sized dancers, Courtney and Grace, aka the Big Grrls, and equally talented and badass DJ, Sophia Eris, stands Lizzo center stage in a simple, but glamorous outfit of sneakers, pantyhose, and a gorgeous leotard covered in glittered strings, a star. She, Courtney, and Grace popped, locked, and milly rocked all over the stage, and the crowd ate it up and demanded more. Confident. Sensual. Gripping. Really, there aren’t enough words to describe the experience I had standing front row in Webster Hall’s Grand Ballroom watching the powerhouse singer-rapper dominate the stage.

---

I’d only heard of Lizzo around this time last year when she hosted MTV’s Video Music Awards Pre-Show ahead of the premiere of her (unfairly short-lived) live music showcase, Wonderland. She was loud, bold, and captivating, but a big part of me could only focus on the fact that she looked like me. There was an immediate connection with her, and I knew it would only be a matter of time before I could see her perform live.

Her music is infectious, to say the least. The beats are banging and the lyrics are catchy, but meaningful, and unlike anything one can hear in today’s popular music. Lizzo is clear with her message of “I am me, and nothing and no one can or will change that,” and that is what makes her so captivating as an artist and performer. The track that put her on the map, lead single “Good as Hell”, which was released as a part of the soundtrack for Barbershop: The Next Cut, is truly a testament to her self-loving mantra from start to finish.

---

Now, back to Webster Hall. The atmosphere was immediately buzzing when the doors opened, and the room for the sold out show quickly filled with a mix of skin colors, body types, ages, and genders that only someone with such a resonant personality like Lizzo could conjure up. I have only been to two concerts before this: Bruno Mars at the Prudential Center in 2013, and St. Lucia at Terminal 5 in 2015, and neither of them could hold a candle to Lizzo in my book. Production value and experience aside, Lizzo’s genuinely kind heart attracts like-minded and like-souled people, and this was clearly present in the audience. I sang my heart out along with the one-time concert friends I made surrounding me, and no matter the tempo of the song in her set, the audience responded with the same fervor you would expect from a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden.

In her spoken break, Lizzo made it a point to remind us to speak our truths, in addition to airing her grievances with the attack on Ariana Grande’s Manchester concert, reminding us that her concerts will always be a safe space for everyone. But it was when she introduced “My Skin” from her previous album, Big Grrrl Small World, that I realized what I was experiencing was vastly different from what the people immediately around me were.

I am a fat, queer, trans black person, and Lizzo has offered me something no other artist ever has. This fat, dark-skinned black woman speaking her truth sold out a major venue in New York City. As Lizzo sang “My Skin,” all I could do was think about what seeing someone who looked just like me would have done for me ten years ago when I was insecure, uncomfortable, and full of self-loathing. All I can do now is think about how important Lizzo’s existence in the mainstream world is and will be for all those kids who looked and felt the same way I did. And, when she came stage left to where I was standing to sing to the crowd – specifically to me – all I could do was silently thank her for speaking her truth.

With songs like “Good as Hell’, “Scuse Me”, and “Worship”, Lizzo offered the crowd more than just good music and fun times; she gave us solace. I felt solace from a world that has already painted a picture of what I am, or what I am supposed to be. I felt protected surrounded by the audience who I am sure shared my sentiments. I felt powerful facing these four beautiful women speaking their truths through music and dance. And now, I feel empowered to share Lizzo with the world. Get to a Lizzo show ASAP because you are missing out on a true experience.