Lizzo Talks ‘Anxiety’ and Combating It With ‘New Wave’ of Positivity Amid Lakers Drama

Lizzo has been one of the most successful musicians of the past 12 months, thanks to a hit-packed year where her music was almost unavoidable. The “Truth Hurts” singer connected with listeners thanks to her advocacy for body positivity and self-love. In her interview with Entertainment Weekly, which named her one of the Entertainers of the Year, Lizzo opened up about the anxiety she has faced and how she has seen a “new wave” of people trying to find the joy in life.

“There’s a lot of anxiety in society. I’ve suffered from it, and it’s awful, it’s debilitating, I know what that feels like,” the 31-year-old performer told the magazine. “And now I think there’s a new wave of people just leaning towards seeking joy… The apex of positivity, I don’t know where it is, but I hope this is just the beginning because I got more… There is a lot more where that came from.”

In the same interview, Lizzo pointed out that her success came after years of hard work. It’s not like she suddenly burst on to the scene and released Cuz I Love You without ever recording anything before. Like so many musicians before her, Lizzo cut her teeth as she released several independent records and EPs.

“Everybody says that and I’m like, ‘It took 10 years to get to this point!’” she said about being called an “overnight success.”

“Mainstream success happens very fast, and that’s why people think it’s overnight… But it’s cool, y’all are going to discover my discography, dig deeper,” the trained flutist continued. “You’re gonna see some pictures of me back when I was wearing $20 wigs.”

Lizzo also defended her racy social media photos, noting that her longtime fans love her for being so open.

“I try to be as real as I can on the internet, because the thing that people liked about me in the first place is that I’m TMI,” she explained. “So if I want to send a picture of my a— on my story or lay in a tub of Skittles naked and post it on my grid, it’s so cool that I have the power to do that.”

According to Lizzo, self-love isn’t “being delusional,” adding that she still has to remind herself every day to look in the “physical mirror, the emotional mirror, the spiritual mirror.”

“I have to hold myself to my own standards. So am I the Lizzo that I looked like last year when I was on my juice cleanse and working out six times a week with my trainer? No,” Lizzo told EW. “But am I a bad b—? Yes!”

Lizzo’s interview with EW was published in the midst of her latest controversy. On Sunday, she wore a butt-bearing shirt to the Staples Center, to see the Los Angeles Lakers play the Minnesota Timberwolves. During an appearance on CBS This Morning, Lizzo shook off critics, insisting she is not going to suddenly change the way she feels about herself.

“I got up and I just did what I always do. Anyone who knows me knows that this is how I’ve always been,” Lizzo told the show’s hosts. “This is how I like to dress. I had all the layers down there. So it wasn’t just flesh to seat, contrary to popular belief. … but um, yeah, it [her butt] was out.”

Lizzo later explained that her butt “was my least favorite thing about myself,” but she eventually learned to love it.

“And now it’s the thing everybody can’t stop talking about. Be you. Do you,” she added. “Don’t ever let anybody steal your joy, especially not the internet.”

Photo credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia