Lizzo’s new pop album is more
infectious than malaria.
…infectious, but also a lot more
fun than malaria I hasten to add. Not that I’ve had malaria myself – I’ve
always just assumed sufferers aren’t having a whale of time convulsing and
vomiting everywhere.
But anyway, let’s not talk about
convulsing and vomiting; let’s talk about this new Lizzo album. The US rapper/singer
kicks the record off by belting her lungs out over orchestral soul. Her flamboyant
voice immediately reminded me of Jocelyn Brown. Except I can’t remember Jocelyn
Brown ever singing a line like ‘Once upon a time, I was a ho/ but I don’t
wanna ho no more’.
Lizzo’s sexually liberal lyrics
are just one of the things that make her so excitingly unique. Her voice is
another thing that sets her apart – as much as I hate showy-X-Factor-performance
style singing, Lizzo has the humour and modern catchy inflections to pull it
off, plus it’s quite refreshing to hear a female pop artist in 2019 that isn’t
relying on breathy whispering.
She’s also got incredible body
confidence. She makes being a larger lady genuinely sexy, and her positivity is
as infectious as her hooks. Yes, Meghan Trainor has been promoting plus-size positivity
for years, but Meghan Trainor always came across as insufferably annoying to
me. I think it’s because Lizzo largely refrains from skinny-shaming and
misandry, plus she’s a lot funnier.
Lizzo isn’t the only thing that
makes Cuz I Love You a fantastic album. The production she’s
singing/rapping over is dynamic, hi-octane and vibrant. There are urban soul
ballads in the style of Amy Winehouse such as ‘Jerome’, Prince-esque funk jams
such as ‘Juice’ and even a filthy trap banger ‘Tempo’. Lizzo cycles through
these genres, whilst staying distinctively her – every track displays the best
of her personality and voice.
There really isn’t a single track
on this album that I disliked. ‘Soulmate’ gets dangerously close to being a Fifth-Harmony-style
commercial pop song, but is layered and catchy enough that I still enjoyed it.
Is this AOTY material? It’s definitely a serious contender.
★★★★★TRACK TASTER: