Lizzo Sings Bitch
I keep meaning to tell you how excited I am about Lizzo singing, “Bitch.” Well, her ‘interpolation’ of it, anyway. If you’ve heard it, you know what I mean.
At first, it was a confusing marriage. In 1997, when the song was first released, the idea of a female labeling and singing about herself as a “bitch” was fresh and shocking and all the things. In 2026, though, not so much. I hear the word in the lion’s share of chart songs. Still, I’m happy. This is business. I’m a songwriter. She is Lizzo.
Although, a bit of a damper is … did she or did she not get canceled? Semi-canceled? What’s going on? I don’t even want to take a deeper dive into the rabbit hole of what I remember she allegedly did. Or did not do. Something about asking her dancers perform inappropriate actions at strip clubs? Treating them poorly in general. Bad behavior. If it happened. It might have. We many never know.
Thing is, I have no control.
If I were to scorn every pop star who recorded a song of mine, for not being an angel, I’d never have anything to celebrate. I can’t even describe the dismissal I’ve been through, (not always,❤️-Chrissie Hynde), the disregard I’ve brushed off. It comes with the territory. I’m all good.
Time. Changing of behavior. From what I see and hear of Lizzo, she is still an inspiration. I’ve heard people say, she’s supposed to be a body-shaming warrior and there she is losing weight. What? First of all, everyone is losing weight. And second of all, to my eye … she’s still … large. Large and beautiful and healthier. She’s “releasing the weight rather than losing it.” I love it.
We’ve granted so many notables the grace of time and second chances and benefits of doubt. Some disappoint us. Some don’t.
I’m going to give her space.
I’m going to hope her message is pure and she gets it across. She must feel madly connected to the song’s purpose – the reclaiming of the word, accepting ourselves with all our complexities — and for that I am grateful. I wonder if Meredith is as well. It’s been a while.
Bottom line – to have a song re-born thirty years after it was birthed successfully for the first time … is a miracle for a songwriter. It’s good for business. At the very least. I hope to thank her some day.
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change. And find the silver linings.
She must have had it on her mind for quite a while because here’s a clip of her singing it years ago, upon waking up one morning: