Lizzo is not quitting music or social media.
According to Variety days after the Grammy winner stirred up headlines for posting “I quit” on social media, she took to Instagram to clarify exactly what she meant and assure fans that she still plans to release new music in the future.
“I wanted to make this video because I just need to clarify when I say ‘I quit,’ I mean I quit giving any negative energy attention,” Lizzo said in a video posted to Instagram. “What I’m not going to quit is the joy of my life, which is making music and connecting to people. And I know I’m not alone. In no way shape or form am I the only person experiencing that negative voice that’s louder than the positive.”
She continued,
“If I can just give one person the inspiration or motivation to stand up for themselves and say they quit letting negative people, negative comments win, then I’ve done even more than I could’ve hoped for. I’m going to keep moving forward and keep being me.”
Lizzo says she isn’t quitting music:
“When I say I quit, I mean I quit giving any negative energy attention. What I’m not gonna quit, is the joy of my life, which is making music which is connecting the people.” pic.twitter.com/RKSv1OPNut
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) April 2, 2024
In her original message posted March 30, Lizzo wrote that she was “getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet.” She said all she wants “is to make music and make people happy and help the world be a little better than how I found it. But I’m starting to feel like the world doesn’t want me in it.”
“I’m constantly up against lies being told about me for clout & views,” she added. “Being the butt of the joke every single time because of how I look … my character being picked apart by people who don’t know me and disrespecting my name.”
Some media outlets interpreted Lizzo’s statement as her quitting music and/or social media, but that is apparently not the case.
Lizzo’s team when she said she was quitting music pic.twitter.com/bAGSJuuCef
— Some Movie Guy (@weekend3warrior) April 2, 2024
When Lizzo spoke out originally Azealia Banks criticized Lizzo’s decision to quit music in the comments section of her announcement.
She said:
“I took back my criticism of you because it definitely clicked in my mind that I definitely wasn’t getting my point about the ways in which insidious people in corporate culture where positioning you to push demeaning initiatives, but sis your handle is ‘lizzo be eating.’ …. You’ve definitely given the public license to laugh at and with you by twerking at the Burger King counter and bathing in a tub of skittles,” Banks wrote. “Self-deprecation was certainly the aesthetic you chose to introduce yourself with. So I don’t see why you’d play victim rather than just stop intentionally inviting people to make jokes about that. You’re a beautiful girl, with a handle on music theory, Grammy awards and tons of success, just change the narrative and go high brow philharmonic on these h**’s and collab with ryuchi sakamoto.”
Looks like she and many of us had Lizzo ALL wrong. (upside down smiley emoji)
