Before Lizzo made it big, music industry gatekeepers didn’t appreciate how big girls could be so much. Now she’s leading a self-love revolution and making it look and sound sexy. (Just watch her recent performance of “Truth Hurts” on the BET Awards if you don’t believe me.) If you go back and read previous issues of the Mercury, you’ll find several articles—mostly written by me—that rave about the huge talent and multifaceted force that is rapper/singer/flautist Lizzo. Having toured here at least four times in the last two years, she’s given Portland fans more opportunities to see her live than we probably deserve. Now Lizzo is back yet again to grace us (twice!) with her fun-loving spirit and soul-enriching soul-pop and rap anthems. From her hip-hop album Lizzobangers to her perfectly varied Coconut Oil EP to her 2019 full-length Cuz I Love You, Lizzo’s more than proven herself worthy of all the recent accolades and attention from the mass media. by Jenni Moore