Lizzo is one of the most social media-savvy artists out there. She is a plus-size singer and for that reason, she has been a subject of constant ridicule and body-shaming. In a recent interview, she opened up about her struggles while growing up.

According to a recent interview with Elle UK, Lizzo said she never imagined being a pop star was even possible due to her size. While she recognized there were “bigger” women in the industry such as Missy Elliott and Queen Latifah, she called them “the exception to the rule.”

Lizzo continued, “I think it was more of, like, an insecurity. Nearly every star I saw on stage was thinner and light-skinned.” She then explained, “And they didn’t look like me. […] I always felt like, even if the song is great, people wouldn’t want to hear it coming from me. So I thought, if I have other people on stage, too, that will take the focus off me a little bit.” She added,  “For me, being a pop star – part of it is people either want to be you or be with you. And I didn’t feel like I had any of those qualities.”

“I know people want to look like me now. But I’m talking about what it was like in my formative years. I wasn’t really set up to believe that I was desirable. For me, being a pop star – part of it is people either want to be you or be with you. And I didn’t feel like I had any of those qualities.”

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It was tough for Lizzo to reach the celebrity status she has now. However, Lizzo was ultimately able to manifest confidence. As she explained, “In doing the fake it till you make it method, I began attracting a lot of people who thought I was beautiful.” — which included her best friend. The music sensation has become a huge advocate of the body positivity movement but catches a lot of flak in the process.

“She’s always been like, ‘You look good, you look beautiful.’ In the past, a lot of people were my friend because they knew that having me around would make them feel better about themselves. But she genuinely thought I was beautiful and helped me believe it and verbalize it out loud.”

Lizzo will be a beacon of positivity for many and that is unlikely to change anytime soon. Last month, the 34-year-old addressed men who use her stage name as an insult to other women. Meanwhile, only a few days have passed since the long-awaited release of Lizzo’s fourth studio album, Special. This fall, she will start a comprehensive stadium tour in promotion of the album.

What’s your take on this story? Sound off in the comments.

Shubham Banerjee

Shubham Banerjee is a computer science student with a passion for technology, gadgets and coding. He writes for Thirsty for News, sharing his love for information and learning. In his free time, he enjoys photography, music, and football. Though, he is a fan of Barcelona, but he is disappointed with their recent performance.

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