SZA Wants to Know Why More People Aren’t Standing Up for Lizzo

For the better part of a decade, Lizzo has been in the public eye championing body positivity. While there’s no denying the progress she’s made, emerging as a role model while delivering consistent bops, it’s continually disappointing to see how many trolls have nothing better to do than comment on Lizzo’s appearance. Fellow artist SZA, at least, is fighting in her corner, and she says we should be too.

Last month, Lizzo posted a series of tweets in response to the constant discourse around her weight. “I JUST logged on and the app and this is the type of shit I see about me on a daily basis,” she wrote. “It’s really starting to make me hate the world.”

“Y’all don’t know how close I be to giving up on everyone and quitting and enjoying my money and my man on a FUCKING FARM…,” she added.

In response to the suggestion that Lizzo’s body type is the product of marketing, Lizzo concluded, “ALSO: to the people who haven’t had an original thought or fresh air in years…BEING FAT ISNT MY ‘BRAND.’ BEING FAT IS WHAT MY BODY LOOKS THAT. THATS IT. THATS ALL.

“My ‘brand’ is FEEL GOOD MUSIC. My ‘brand’ is CHAMPIONING ALL PEOPLE. My ‘brand’ is BLACK GIRL LIBERATION”

Although not quite ready for the hermit life, Lizzo ended up locking her tweets for several weeks. The discourse may have died down as a result, but SZA was not ready to let the internet off the hook.

“I be wondering where all the virtue signaling ,well spoken shit talking , internet warriors are when someone genuine needs defending,” SZA wrote on Tuesday. “Where the fuck do y’all be at for lizzo? Do y’all actually know how to support others or only tear them down.”

When one user asked, “So people don’t go to war for Lizzo in this app?,” SZA responded, “NOT EFUCKINGNUFF . For as much free love, encouragement and positivity she embodies n shares on every app daily ?  The ratios’s don’t add up .”

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Lizzo said as much herself weeks earlier, writing, “The Love definitely do not outweigh the Hate on social media.”

SZA’s got a point—Lizzo stands up for other people and shouldn’t have to constantly defend herself. In addition to championing body positivity, Lizzo has been a huge ally to the LGBTQ+ community, supporting queer artists and speaking out against anti-trans and anti-drag laws. As SZA puts it, the recent trolling is a good reminder to keep those positivity ratios up. In the meantime, SZA and Lizzo are supporting each other both onstage and off, headlining Philadelphia’s Made in America festival together this fall.