You Oughta Know: Lizzo

Given how much exposure she’s gotten lately – and, yes, how much she’s offered up on her album cover – it might surprise you that we’re dedicating a “You Oughta Know” column to Lizzo, but just because you’ve heard her name and a couple of her more recent singles doesn’t mean that you really know Lizzo...but you oughta!

 Lizzo – real name Melissa Viviane Jefferson – was born in Detroit, moved to Houston and started her music career, then moved to Minneapolis and made the jump from just performing to actually doing some recording. Prior to getting her big break by signing to Atlantic Records, Lizzo released two albums – LIZZOBANGERS (2013) and BIG GRRRL SMALL WORLD (2015) – but between those two LPs, she’d already built up her profile to such a degree that Time named her one of fourteen music artists to watch.

2016’s COCONUT OIL EP was Lizzo’s first major-label release, and it caught the ears of a number of influential music critics, so by the time she released her third album – and first full-length LP for Atlantic – CUZ I LOVE YOU, she’d scored so much buzz that she quickly found herself in the top 5 of the Billboard 200. More than that, though, she was also getting roles as an actress, providing the voice of Lydia in the animated film UglyDolls and playing a stripper named Liz in Hustlers.

So if you don’t know Lizzo, you definitely oughta, so check out the playlist we’ve put together and get to know her ASAP!