Lizzo says she’s finished second-guessing herself and is able to take the reins once more. The Grammy-winning artist revealed in a brand new interview that she had “forgotten how to trust” her personal musical instincts after releasing two singles earlier this yr that didn’t replicate her imaginative and prescient.

“I had forgotten how to trust myself,” she informed Vulture. “I think, musically, I have been on a path to losing myself for a long time.”

The songs in query, “Love in Real Life” and “Still Bad,” had been each chosen by her label, Atlantic Records. Their accompanying visuals additionally missed the mark for the “About Damn Time” singer, who admitted the ultimate product didn’t align together with her authentic idea.

In March, Lizzo introduced that her fifth studio album was completed. However, the discharge date stays in limbo as a consequence of ongoing authorized points. The lawsuits, filed by former staff in late 2023 and early 2024, accused her of sexual harassment, weight-shaming and making a hostile work surroundings. Lizzo has denied all allegations.

Despite the turmoil, she’s now doubling down on her inventive independence. During a pivotal assembly together with her label, she made it clear she was finished compromising.

“I sat down at the table and I said, ‘I need to do s**t my way starting from now. And I need y’all to have my back. It’s going to be a little scary,’” she mentioned. “And everybody agreed, and they said, ‘We got your back, whatever you need.’”

By May, she had already begun reshaping her sound. She dropped a stripped-down model of “Still Bad (Animal Style),” signaling a return to a extra uncooked and private strategy. The video, shot solely on an iPhone, captures her strolling by means of New York City after the Met Gala, stopping at an arcade and a drag present.

“Oh yeah, the point of this was to have f**king fun,” she mentioned of the DIY-style video. Lizzo’s subsequent transfer stays unclear, however her message is loud: she’s again in cost and doing issues on her phrases.

The album, although completed, has no confirmed launch date as of June 2024.

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