Lizzo, “Grrrls” | Track Review

Although initially plagued by the controversy of an ableist slur, Lizzo atones for her wrongs & delivers a respectable, female empowerment anthem with “Grrrls.”

“L

et mе take these earrings off and hit the boosie ratchet with my friends.” Woo! Before I ever heard “Grrrls”, the second single from Special, Grammy-winning pop artist Lizzo received backlash.  She’s been criticized prior to “Grrrls,” but not for non-inclusivity.  Also, worth noting, that before ever hearing it, a new version of the single was issued three days after its initial release.  Lizzo righted a wrong, taking ownership for the use of an ableist slur within the song, the word spaz.  Her swift fix was the right thing to do, something so many people avoid like a plague when there are rightfully criticized and held accountable.  Now, with that lengthy preface out of the way, the focus is on “Grrrls” itself.

“Grrrls” keeps things short, sweet, and empowering.  Despite its brevity, the two-minute record features five producers: ​ benny blanco, ILYA, Max Martin, Blake Slatkin, and Pop Wansel.  All in all, the shared production duties yield a positive result – a V-I-B-E. Also, worth noting, it samples Beastie Boys’ 1986 record, “Girls”.  As always, Lizzo sings well, and there is no sassy, attitude deficit to be found.  She supports her ‘sisters’ through and through – “‘Cause that’s my girl, we codependent / If she with it, then I’m with it.” She’s profane, mind you, but she’s gonna support her girls: “I’ma go Lorena Bobbitt on him, so he never fuck again.” Wow! Of course, the centerpiece is the chorus in all its girl-centric glory:

“Where my girls, where my girls at? (Woo-hoo)

Where my girls, where my girls at? (Woo-hoo)

Yeah, this the type of fight I’m lookin’ for

Wherе my girls, where my girls at? (Woo-hoo).”

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Final Thoughts

All in all, “Grrrls,” despite the controversy it initially generated, and its brevity is another enjoyable Lizzo record.  It’s not the second coming, nor necessarily as electric as “About Damn Time” but it’s enjoyable and effective.  The messaging and theme are big selling points.  Also, as always, Lizzo is on autopilot.

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Lizzo • Special • Nice Life / Atlantic • 7.15.22

 [: Atlantic, Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, Nice Life, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

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