Lizzo Has ‘Pissed a Few Family Members off’ Since Breaking Away From Her ‘Strict’ Religious Upbringing
Lizzo‘s brand is built on being bold and powerful. She’s created an empire around a message of body and sex positivity while donning revealing, jaw-dropping outfits. It may come as a surprise, then, to learn that Lizzo’s early days featured a strict religious upbringing. As you might imagine, her family members who maintain that worldview don’t always approve of Lizzo’s public antics.
Lizzo grew up religious
Lizzo was born Melissa Viviane Jefferson in 1988 in Detroit, Michigan. Her family were members of the Pentecostal church, she told Teen Vogue. And it wasn’t until she moved to Texas at age 9 that Lizzo started getting exposure to more contemporary pop artists.
From an early age, Lizzo focused on playing the flute. But by the time she was a teen, she began rapping and formed a music group. After high school, Lizzo embarked on a path as a classical flutist. She was well on her way to concert halls when she made the challenging decision to leave college her junior year and pursue a performance career as a singer instead.
Following her father’s death, Lizzo relocated to Minneapolis in 2011. Her first album came out a few years later, and her career exploded in 2019.
Lizzo admits that she has upset some religious family members
Speaking with James Corden during a “Carpool Karaoke” segment, Lizzo reflected on how her path has diverged from the early days of her Pentecostal upbringing.
“When you have that faith, it is strict with like, the kind of music you listen to. We didn’t listen to secular music. It was ‘devil music,'” Lizzo remembered. When Corden asks if her own hits would have been allowed in her childhood home, Lizzo quickly replies they would not. “Early on Lizzo, yes. But when Lizzo started cussing, no!” she laughed.
“I’ve pissed a few family members off,” Lizzo added. When Corden asked if it’s because she cusses too much, she shared another possible reason. “It might be the nudity a little bit.” One cousin in particular will frequently call Lizzo’s mom and say, “Tell Melissa to put some clothes on!”
Lizzo has embraced her individuality free from shame
Miffed family members aside, Lizzo has definitely embraced a lifestyle that’s unapologetically open and full of self-love. She also stays committed to bringing a message of acceptance and tolerance to her fans. In fact, Lizzo has made herself something of an ambassador and educator for body acceptance and living life out loud and proud.
Lizzo even did a TEDTalk on the history of twerking. She connects that history to her transition from self-loathing to self-love: “My ass has been the topic of conversations, my ass has been in magazines, Rihanna gave my ass a standing ovation. Yes, my booty! My least favorite part of my body. How did this happen? Twerking. Through the movement of twerking, I realized that my ass is my greatest asset. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my TED Twerk.”
By tracing the art form’s roots back to its African origins, Lizzo connects twerking to sexual liberation and a long history of fighting for freedom.
