Scene One: Minnesota State Fair. Walking up to a radio station booth advertising a giant poster of Lizzo. “Are you giving away anything cool? *looks at Lizzo* “I really wish she would just do a surprise show at the Fair.” Radio station girl laughed and shook her head. Alas Lizzo was at the MTV Video Music Awards, with bigger stages to dance on.
Scene Two: Happy Hour. “I wonder if Lizzo added her second show at The Armory because of Yom Kippur?” I said to my friend recently. Months back I noticed that her Minnesota concert is on Yom Kippur and then recently I noticed she added a second show two days later. My first thought was, maybe she did this for us. Then I realized the second show is on Friday night, so it probably wasn’t for us. Some of you will go straight to the show after breaking the fast. Some of you will go on Friday night. I will be jealous.
Regardless, the High Holy Days and Lizzo are on a lot of our minds right now and listening to the Lizzo album is an excellent way to prepare for the new year.
At 31 years old, Lizzo is already a legend. For those uninitiated to the greatness that is Lizzo, allow me to introduce you. She’s a singer, songwriter, rapper, actress and female empowerment icon. She’s ours too – she lived in Minneapolis in recent years. I’m pretty sure she’s been to the State Fair – which is why I was hoping for a surprise appearance. It can’t hurt to dream!
My Apple Music account knows me so well, and here’s what they have to say about Lizzo. “With powerhouse pipes, razor-sharp wit, and a tireless commitment to self-love and self-care, Lizzo is the fearless pop star we need.” I couldn’t agree more.
In this Hebrew month of Elul, we are supposed to be doing our “Spiritual Accounting”
We are encouraged to look inward, to reflect on the people we are, the life we want and the life we have been living so far. Are we reaching our goals? Are we making a difference? Are we achieving our potential? Many of us attempt to explore what is holding us back and what is weighing us down. We make amends with others and set new goals, intentions, and resolutions for the new year. I wasn’t joking about Lizzo being good High Holiday music. Here’s why…
Listening To Cuz I Love You Is A Spiritual Experience
If you haven’t listed to this album yet, you’re in for a treat. As long as you don’t mind a few f-bombs, listening to this album and really taking it in can be a spiritual experience. The lyrics, the music, the voice, the beat, it’s simply on fire. Or “It’s fire,” as the teens say.
The Lyrics Are On Point
The album has great messages for the High Holidays.
- “If I’m shining, everybody gonna shine,” from her song Juice. The attitude we have and the energy we bring is contagious. Examine your attitude. Be confident.
- “Don’t text me, tell it straight to my face,” from her song Truth Hurts. We live in a digital world. People ghost people. We’ve all received and sent texts that should have been calls or face to face. Lizzo calls it out.
- “Crazy, sexy, cool, baby with or without makeup,” from her song Like A Girl. Let’s teach our daughters
- “Cause I’m my own soulmate. I know how to love me. I know that I’m always gonna hold me down,” from Soulmate. Important message for all ages: We can all work on loving ourselves better in the New Year.
Lizzo Models Accountability For One’s Actions
Lizzo is not perfect. None of us are. Just this week Lizzo issued an apology after she put a food delivery driver on blast after a kerfuffle. Once she realized her mistake, she owned up to it and apologized. “Imma really be more responsible with my use of social media and check my petty and my pride at the door,” she wrote in her tweet. We all make mistakes. Lizzo shows us the steps to apologize, take accountability and move on with your head held high.
Lizzo Teaches Us Persistence And Resilience
Example one: “Truth Hurts.” This single was released in 2017. Just this month – two years later – the song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This is exciting and historical for a variety of reasons.
Example two: Sadly Lizzo lost her father at 21 years old and she lived in her car while trying to break into the music industry. Now she’s made it to the top and living her dreams. Our dreams and goals in life don’t come to fruition right away. Often it takes years to get there.
Lizzo can help with the road map. Another great theme song for a bad day is Good as Hell, which you may recognize from a health insurance commercial a few years back.
If Lizzo is not the soundtrack for your High Holy Day prep, find another one!
When you see me dancing in my car down Highway 394, you’ll be in on my secret. I’m just working on my New Year’s resolutions.
