If you haven’t yet heard of Lizzo—the Minneapolis-based musician, rapper, singer-songwriter, and classically trained flautist—I envy you, but not for the reason you might think. Part of me wishes that I could hear her work for the first time all over again—she is that talented. While her 2013 debut (hilariously titled Lizzobangers, and it is indeed an album full of bangers) and its 2015 follow-up Big Grrl, Small World mostly focused on her rap and hip-hop chops, Cuz I Love You expands her R&B, soul and singer-songwriter repertoire that distinguished her 2016 major label EP Coconut Oil. The result is an astonishingly well rounded (if at times overproduced) third album that is destined to be a crossover hit.
The title track is outstanding—it sounds like an Aretha Franklin song, but overlaid with Lizzo’s unique sense of humor (actual lyric from “Cuz I Love You,” the song: “What the fuck are fucking feelings, yo?”) and eye-popping vocals. The overproduction here distracts a bit from the quality of the song—the razor-sharp horn section is a bit too clean, especially when matched by Lizzo’s raw vocals—but it’s still a catchy opener, and one that I find myself returning to over and over. Elsewhere, rap legend Missy Elliott drops in for not one but two guest spots, on “Juice” and “Tempo,” respectively, and she serves as a perfect complement to Lizzo’s vocal performances and flow on both songs. I can’t say the same for Gucci Mane’s turn on “Exactly How I Feel,” which, even though he only raps one guest verse, feels like it distracts from the true star of the show (Lizzo, obviously).
A word about “Juice”: If you’re new to Lizzo’s work, this song is a great starting point because it showcases what makes her so wildly talented—her excellent flow, gorgeous vocals, and her ear for what makes a solid pop song (observant listeners will recognize a tiny bit of the “ya ya ee” part from CeCe Penniston’s “Finally” right after the chorus) all come together to create one of 2018’s best songs, and one that anchors Cuz I Love You as one of 2019’s most exciting albums. Some listeners may blanch at Lizzo’s earnest lyrics—“Soulmate” casts Lizzo as her own soulmate while expounding on the importance of self-love, and “Like a Girl” is a catchy feminist anthem—but when I say earnest, I don’t necessarily mean cheesy.
We live in a world that can seem increasingly doomed by the day: after all, Donald Trump is the President of the United States and has introduced a new, unfortunate level of incompetence to that office not seen since the George W. Bush administration, global warming is already fucking things up for a lot of people, and one does not have to look too hard, in general, to find news items that are terrifying or depressing. Cuz I Love You will not solve these problems. But a little earnestness in dark times is something that I welcome.