Special by Lizzo | Album Review
Lizzo’s second major label record proves she more than just a one hit wonder.
Listen to Special on Apple Music and Spotify.
I think many could have, and very well might have, viewed Lizzo’s major label debut as just a flash in the pan. Her brand of body positivity, reverence for the funk/soul of the 70s/80s, and absolutely electric stage presence prove that that’s she’s more than just a passing fad. Unlike fellow contemporary Meghan Trainor, Lizzo’s brand of throwback sound captures the joy and authenticity of the original. Come 2022, Lizzo pushed hard on TikTok to promote her latest single, “About Damn Time,” through viral dance campaigns and other promotional methods. It proved to a be a success as the track would make it all the to number 1 on the charts. It also doesn’t hurt that the song is quite the earworm.
Lizzo opens the album with her upbeat return on “The Sign”. She continues her nostalgic blend of funk and soul with a healthy helping of pop. Her blend of trumpets and electric guitar makes for a joyful listen. This is her moment to shake out her hair and start anew. I do appreciate her stance to shake off the past and move forward stronger.
There is no wonder why “About Damn Time” was released as the lead single off this project. It’s full of 70s funk/disco flavor all tied down with Lizzo’s playful confidence that totally sells the sound. On the genesis of the song, Lizzo told Apple Music:
“I have been making feel-good music for a long fucking time now — as early as ‘Good as Hell’ for people who’ve known about me. So when I made a song like ‘Juice’ that had this funky disco feel to it, I didn’t really realize what I was doing. I was just letting the song happen. It was the complete opposite with ‘About Damn Time.’ For this record, I was like, ‘We are making a disco record.’ I wanted a song that would be emblematic and reflective of the times. And I associate disco with resilience; it helped so many people stomp out of a dark era in this country. So I hoped that a contemporary disco song would have a similar effect. Now, I don’t know what we’re walking into. Things have gotten crazy. But I do know that we’re always moving. I wanted this song to be a marching song [that would help] us move forward.”
She also gets the spotlight to display her talents on the flute towards the end of the track. This only adds to the funky groove that she has created. It’s a great track to gas you up when you’re in need to be brought up.
“Grrrls” is more of a pop/hip-hop oriented tune. She calls for her girls to keep her straight when she ready to throwdown, “Hold my bag, bitch, hold my bag/ Do you see this shit? Hold me back/ I’m about to knock somebody out, yo, were my best friend?/ She the only one I know to talk me off the deep end.” While I appreciate Lizzo’s celebratory nature around her girls, this one feels a little bit stale. In a way it feels like Lizzo got her hands on one of the rejected Meghan Trainor songs from her pop era and wrote for it. She definitely has the charisma for the lines, but the xylophones and almost Disney-esque hip-hop cheapen the song for me.
“2 Be Loved (I Am Ready)” is much more pop forward than the previous tracks. Pop producer/songwriting mastermind Max Martin co-wrote and produced the track. The chorus bares a similarity to Lady Gaga’s “Perfect Illusion” on the line, “… to be loved.” I think if the chorus didn’t have the energy that it brings the song would fall rather flat. She does a good job bouncing us back in the aftermath of a breakup, “Am I ready? (You deserve it now)/ ’Cause I want it (That’s what I’m talkin’ about)/ Am I ready (You gon’ figure it out)/ To be loved, to be loved?” I can see why this was chosen to be the second single. It has a great hook and message.
Lizzo brings in a little 80s synth pop on “I Love You Bitch”. She brings a healthy sense of humor to her new found love. At first I was unsure if this playful nature worked for me, but the more I listened to this song the more this grew on me. It’s a great progression from the last track. Lizzo is now moving forward and is back in the infatuation phase of a new relationship.
“Special” takes us into a more soulful realm. This is a welcomed change from the more pop flavored tracks that came before. On the meaning of the song, Lizzo told Apple Music the following on why she wrote the title track:
“After ‘Rumors’, I received a lot of backlash. I think it was because people hadn’t heard from me since ‘Cuz I Love You’ and this was their opportunity to attack me because I was visible, you know? But I turn my pain into music. I turn my pain into profit. I make it work for me. So I went into the studio to write a song for myself that would remind me how special I am. In the second verse, I say, ‘Could you imagine a world where everybody’s the same? And you could cancel a girl ’cause she just wanted to change? How could you throw fucking stones if you ain’t been through her pain? That’s why we feel so alone, that’s why we feel so much shame.’ I was trying to flip the mirror on people, that same mirror that I check myself with. It’s me saying, ‘You attack people like they’re the monster, but you’ve become the monster.’ No one’s giving anyone the space to be themselves,
Lizzo’s confessional lyrics around everyone’s point of view on her come off strong. The chorus, “Well, I will always love you the same/ You’re special/ I’m so glad that you’re still with us/ Broken, but damn, you’re still perfect,” reminds Lizzo and the rest of us of our uniqueness and beauty through all the negativity.
She gives a little doo-wop flare on “Break Up Twice”. The song’s chorus bears similarities to Lauryn Hill’s “Doo-Wop (That Thing)” in its horn melody. Lizzo addresses the nod to Hill and her working with Mark Ronson with Apple Music:
“This is my second dream collab: Mark Ronson. And let me tell you, this is quintessential Mark. His style and swag is inescapable. Working with him made me feel like a kid again, because you just jam. And I used to be in a rock band, so that’s my bread and butter. When I first heard the guitar part, I was like, ‘This is classic shit right here.’ And when I heard those Lauryn Hill ‘Doo Wop’ chords, I was like, ‘Do we run from this or lean into it?’ You’ve got to lean into it. She cleared it in a day and I was beside myself. The story behind it is like, I’d had a barbecue and one of my friends threatened the guy I invited. She was like, ‘If you fuck with her, I’m gonna slash your tires.’ I was like, ‘Hell yeah.’ I took it into the studio and Mark thought it was brilliant. The idea is: I don’t break up twice. We’re only going to do this once, and we’re going to do it right.”
I love the addition of the strings that give a little disco era glamour. She does well to drive home the point that this is your last shot with her, so you better put in the work.
The most disco tinged track on the album comes on the aptly titled “Everybody’s Gay”. The cool synths and funky bass bring to mind the glow of neon lights and glitter of a rotating disco ball overhead. She pays a perfect homage to the fabulous sounds of the discotheque all while keeping this throwback sound fresh and interesting. Lizzo told Apple Music the following about the track:
“I wanted to write a fantasy song, like one of those Hollywood songs where you’re taken away to a picture that I’m painting, a dream sequence kind of thing. It’s very cinematic. I wanted to write about this wild costume party where everybody gets together and has a good time. And no, when I sing ‘Take your mask off,’ I didn’t mean your N95. I meant like the mask of the person that you have to uphold when you’re out in the world, the mask that protects your true self. Take that off, because we accept you for who you are in this space. This high-key is the centerpiece of the album, musically, for me. It’s a cornucopia of sound.”
“Naked” is our sultry slow jam on the album. Lizzo’s come hither delivery against the sensuality brass sections melts beautifully together. She does well to match this sexuality with a sense of vulnerability around this exposing herself fully to this man. Even in this moment of letting her guard down she’s able to portray a strength in her sensuality, “I’m naked/ Love how you look at me naked/ Come make this body feel sacred/ I’m a big girl, don’t you waste it.”
She takes us back to the high energy of the earlier tracks on “Birthday Girl”. Lizzo continues her themes of uplifting those around her. In a way it’s similar to “Grrrls” with its theme of celebrating the solid group of friends that have stuck with her over time. While I like the sound, I feel like I have heard this song already on the album.
I appreciate the soft acoustics of “If You Love Me”. Compared to the homogeneous sound of the previous songs this track is a welcomed chill piece of soul. She keeps the brass and saxophone tones while allowing the tenderness of of her vocals match gentle descending melody of the guitar. Lizzo told Apple music this was the first song written for the album. This vulnerable side of her speaks to wanting loved unconditionally. She really sells wanting to feel the admiration a partner show her personally.
We end out the album on “Coldplay”. She even includes a sample of Coldplay’s “Yellow” on the track which is something I wouldn’t have thought would work, but it feels at home in the way it’s used here. Lizzo blends aspects of chillhop, funk, and soul together to make for a lush closer for this project. She waxes on the push and pull that her defense mechanisms have against this relationship. It gives the proper amount of pain through the lavish warmth of backing instrumentals.
I am glad to see that Lizzo continues to captivate many with her talent for songwriting and generally confident caring demeanor. There is more that I like than I dislike about this album. I think the energy is present on all the tracks to sell the emotions she is going for. While many try for a retro throwback sound to various success, Lizzo really knows how to embody this sound while keeping you engrossed in her style. I do wish the album had a little more variety to it. Some of the tracks felt a bit similar (i.e. “Birthday Girl”, “The Sign”, “Grrrls”). I found the back half of the album had more interesting textured sonically compared to the front. I do suggest giving the album a listen to pick out some of your favorites. My album breakdown:
Loved it: “About Damn Time”, “Special”, “Everybody’s Gay”, “Naked” & “If You Loved Me”
Liked it: “The Sign”, “2 Be Loved (I Am Ready)”, “I Love You Bitch”, “Break Up Twice” & “Coldplay”
Disliked it: “Grrls” & “Birthday Girl”
My overall rating: 6.0 out of 10.
