Fans were taken aback earlier this year when, even though Lizzo said in March that her new album Love in Real Life was finished, she surprised them instead with a rap mixtape titled My Face Hurts From Smiling. Now, the singer is ready to explain why she decided to switch directions.
In a new New York magazine cover story published Monday (Sept. 8), Lizzo admitted she is unsure if or when her previously announced album will be released, revealing that she chose to step back from it for now. “By 2025, I’ve changed, the world has changed so much, and so much has happened,” she explained, adding that most of Love in Real Life was written in 2022. “It just wasn’t what I was feeling right now. I was like, ‘I need to do s–t differently and I don’t know what it is, but I’m going just to start following my instincts.’”
After the album’s lead singles failed to reach the Billboard Hot 100, Lizzo said she had a meeting with executives at her label, Atlantic Records, to explain her decision to put the project on hold. “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 recalled. “And everybody agreed, and they said, ‘We got your back, whatever you need.’”
The singer now describes the status of Love in Real Life as “TBD,” without confirming if it will eventually come out. For the time being, she is focused on releasing music that feels authentic to her, including My Face Hurts From Smiling. “I’m in one of the most exciting, creative flows I’ve had as a human being on this planet,” she said. “Who cares if you don’t like it, b—h? I got 7,000 more songs like it. This ain’t the only album I’ll ever do. This ain’t the only song I’m going ever to sing. B—h, you can’t get rid of me!”
Her decision follows a difficult period in which the “Truth Hurts” star faced significant public scrutiny. Three of her former dancers filed a lawsuit against her, accusing her of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. Later, she was sued again by her former wardrobe assistant, who accused her and her touring company of enabling a racist and sexist atmosphere during her world tour. Lizzo has since been cleared from the second lawsuit, although her company, Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc., remains a defendant. She has strongly denied all accusations, previously calling them “false allegations,” while her spokesperson told Billboard the second lawsuit was nothing more than a “publicity stunt.”
In the interview, Lizzo reflected on the emotional strain the lawsuits caused her. She recalled one incident where she was with a friend and their children at a theme park and felt overwhelmed, forcing her to retreat to her car to process everything. “I’m in the car crying out of frustration that I could not say what I wanted to say and just get on Instagram Live and be like, ‘What’s going on?’” she explained. “It was legal. Everything you say and do will be held against you in the court of law.”
See Lizzo’s New York magazine cover below:
