If you’ve not yet watched Lizzo’s Tiny Desk Concert on NPR, do yourself a favor, grab a pair of headphones (there’s NSFW language in it) and take 17 minutes to enjoy the magnificence that is Lizzo singing and speaking with the NPR audience. Then watch the Youtube video above from Today‘s new digital series, “Women Who Rock.” Lizzo talks about the importance of mentorship and empowering and supporting women. Here are some highlights:
On mentorshipTherapy has become a privilege because it is expensive. I suggest mentorship because sometimes you need somebody to talk to. Especially young people who can’t afford to go to therapy. Communication is one of the most important things you can have in self care.
On her music
I do this music for myself. I want to empower myself. I’ve been in a place where I needed to lift myself up. I used my music as therapy. The fact that it’s now uplifting so many other young people in the world makes it that much more worthwhile.On her team being mostly women
My team is all girls for the majority naturally. I surround myself with good energy and good people and people who support me. I just think women are better at the job. It’s about what they bring to the table.On more jobs for women
More jobs for women need to happen behind the camera… and stage. We have the skills we’re just not given the opportunities to be the best in our field at these things because of misogyny. Once we start giving young girls the opportunities I think that the industry would get more diverse and interesting. There’s so many more stories to tell.We don’t want female supremacy, we just want to be represented. We want it to be equal. If men understood that more and allowed the space… I think that we could all get along much more. People are so afraid of losing that top spot. It’s about giving us that space and letting us in.
[From The Today Show via YouTube]
I think I just need to make time to listen to Lizzo every day. I love everything she says (that I’ve heard). I wish more men would grasp her last comment about women not wanting female supremacy, but equality, and respect, and a space at the table. I also love when Lizzo responds to her fans who tell her that they love her. She tells them that they can and should love themselves. She’s one of the few celebrities I’ve ever seen take her fame and actively try to use it to shift the conversation from herself back to the fans. She’s not dismissive of their support, but very much welcomes it. At the same time, she is deliberately creating these spaces for others to reflect about what would happen if they gave themselves the love and attention that they give her. So, I’m not surprised that she’s talking here about the value of mentorship. (I also love that she points out the privilege of being able to afford therapy, and so offers mentorship as a potential alternative). I’m not surprised that she’s very invested in creating opportunities for women. I hope that she’s making music for a long time to come because as much as I love her music, I also love that it means that she has reasons to give interviews.
I just heard her latest song and she is mega-talented. I hope she’ll be the next superstar.
I love Lizzo and myself.
@ Quimby: Just came here to say I love your write ups and wish could put up a lot more articles than you do, I enjoy reading you!
I love Lizzo and am so glad she’s everywhere now!
I see too many good men exhausted of putting up the facade of the alpha. This representativeness would be good for women and for men! Tearing down the power struggle for good and work together. When you’ve been powerful for too long you cease to have anything to give anyway and creativity fades.
This. She’s so positive and fun. And she’s right about women wanting representation, respect, and equality. A lot of times asking for those things or centering those things does get misinterpreted as promoting supremacy.
I love Lizzo and everything she’s about. She’s talented, funny and smart. I hope her carer is very long. She’s rad.
She seems to appeal to different age groups too. I’ve got teen cousins who like her a lot, and I’ve got a 61-year-old male co-worker who loves her.
I love that more celebrities are publicly discussing the benefits of therapy. I turned on CNN the other night and Anderson Cooper was interviewing Howard Stern. I thought I would give it 30 seconds and move on, but I was riveted. Whatever your thoughts on Stern, I think everyone should watch that interview because the conversation was centered around his experience with therapy. It’s a shame that therapy is so expensive and that insurance companies largely don’t pay for it. It should be easily accessible to everyone. Mental health is just as important as physical health.
PS I love everything she said in this interview.
@tw I’m a therapist myself, so very biased, but I appreciate your comment, and Lizzo and Howard stern and others for taking down the stigma about therapy. One thing though, a lot of insurances are starting to cover it, and Medicaid offers really good therapy benefits, at least in Oregon. A lot of therapists, myself included, also use sliding scale so th at people with financial challenges can still get therapy.
The only mainstream pop star who promotes body positivity who’s credible. Never go away, Lizzo.
Love her. Was just listening to her album the other day and thinking about how she’s a superb lyricist.
Been following Lizzo since 2017/2018 and am so happy to see her get her roses! She is one of the few I know to really talk the talk and walk the walk on mental health.
I’m so happy to see this great write-up on Lizzo. She’s talented *and* a force for good in our Pop culture.
Love when celebrities are open about therapy! But I also don’t like this narrative that therapy is only for the privileged. We therapists are ethically obligated to hold a certain amount of sliding scale spots (check out Open Path, or just ask a therapist what they offer) and low-cost community agencies (where awesome pre-licensed therapists work to gain hours towards full licensure) are a good option. Many insurance plans also offer out-of-network benefits so that you’re free to work with whomever you choose and insurance can’t dictate treatment.
Obamacare in California has excellent therapy benefits. I feel very fortunate. I go nearly every week. It’s challenging, because in a way it was easier to just not deal with stuff. Looking at it and thinking about it can be rough. But I can see progress. Thanks, Obama!
Also: I just absolutely adore Lizzo! More Lizzo stories, please! We all need her shining light of positivity.
Lizzo is amazing on so many levels. Women, body image, race, talent you name it. She’s been around for a while, she worked with Prince in 2014, and it is so great to see her get her due. Thank you for this article!!! Everyone should just listen to her songs and watch her perform. Why men great till they have to be great? is one of the best first lines of any song written since the great Tom Petty left this world with so many gems of first lines of songs.