On a random weekday last semester, I sent out a crazed message to five of my friends, three of which were studying abroad, begging them to see Lizzo with me. I’d been bopping to Lizzo since she appeared as a guest judge on Rupaul’s Drag Race, and her first full-length album was exactly what I needed after my relationship ended a couple months prior. After securing everyone’s less-enthusiastic-than-mine “yes,” the tickets were bought for September. The event seemed so distant and removed: I wasn’t even currently in the same continent as three of the people going with me.
September finally came, and it was a Tuesday night when we were all feeling those start-of-the-semester blues. “But we have Lizzo tonight,” we kept telling each other. By now, Lizzo was huge, and those “yeah, I guess I’ll go with you” answers I got last semester had turned into real excitement to see the queen of bops. In the past few weeks, I’d been hearing people talk about this concert like it was the event of the year. Tickets were going for hundreds of dollars, and every person we told that we were going met us with a look of jealousy.
And let me tell you, people were absolutely right to hype up this concert. As soon as the lights dimmed in the arena, everyone was already losing their minds. Lizzo has become the symbol of self-love and badassery, and I think the whole audience was ready to share that energy, even just for a night. When the opening notes of “Heaven Help Me” started playing, there was a collective moment of “oh my god, this is really happening.”
Lizzo delivered an experience. She put her soul into every song, and you could tell she was a musician who was genuinely grateful for the opportunity to perform for us. The energy never diminished. Her outfits were consistently on point (I’ll never forget her gold “THAT BITCH” pants or the fluffy pink robe she wore for her sultry song “Lingerie”). And yes, she can hit those high notes live.
(photo courtesy of Lizzo’s Instagram)
One of my favorite moments from the concert has to be when Lizzo slowed down for her ballad, “Jerome.” I love musicians who take a few minutes to personally talk to the audience. Lizzo reminded us all that we were independent and awesome, but that it’s normal to get caught up on the wrong person. We might all be bad bitches, but we have feelings. I think we all needed the reminder that it’s normal to love yourself and still want affection.
All in all, this concert was one for the books. It was one of those times where you think to yourself, “Wow, I’m going to be sad when this is over.” Let’s just say that if Lizzo randomly announced a part three of her tour, I’d be buying those tickets immediately.