Lizzo, MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING | 📀 Review

Grammy winner Lizzo drops an enjoyable, summery, and unapologetic rap mixtape with MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING.

First and foremost, it has been a while, but here it is. My first album review in more than a year. Do I still have it in me to provide commentary about an entire project as opposed to individual tracks? The answer is a resounding yes! The source of my album reviewing comeback is a mixtape. At the end of June, Grammy-winning rapper/singer/songwriter/flautist Lizzo (Melissa Jefferson) dropped a surprise mixtape, MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING. Although Jefferson had been prepping her third studio album, releasing singles “Love in Real Life” and “Still Bad”, she dipped into rapping exclusively on the tape at hand. Expectedly, the thirty-five-minute rap tape is brasher, more profane, and more unapologetic than her pop music. Recorded in only three days, MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING features some highlights… There are bops and bangers to be found this Lizzo summer.  Is it the second coming?

~ Table of Contents ~

“CRASHOUT”

“When I get up out this motherfuckin’ shit I’m goin’ through right now, bitch / I’m not lettin’ no ho breathe around me, I promise you, bitch…” And so, begins the crash-out that is “CRASHOUT.” Lizzo sets the bad bitching, carefree, yet unapologetic tone of MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING.  It starts with the profane intro (excerpted above) and continues into the first verse and beyond.  At the end of the first verse, she asserts, confidently, “She doin’ interviews about me, I don’t even know her / While all these bitches sittin’ mad, I’m out here bending over.” Ooh-wee! In the chorus, she memorably informs us, “We outside, ho!” “CRASHOUT” lacks profundity, unless you consider lyrics like, “I need my ass ate, that’s why I got my ass out,” but Lizzo brings ample attitude, energy, and curse words. Ricky Reed (Eric Frederic), Mike Hector, and Whosantoine produced it.

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

“YITTY ON YO TITTYS (FREESTYLE)”

With a song title wild enough to prompt interest, “YITTY ON YO TITTYS (FREESTYLE)” finds Lizzo talking her shit. With a sweet, minor-key trap backdrop produced by prxdbyjai, One Play Mike, and Zaytoven, ‘Lizzy’ goes in. Worth noting, “YITTY” samples “WHIM WHAMIEE” by PLUTO and YKNIECE. “Bitch, it’s Lizzo, call me Lizzy / I been fat and I been skinny, bitches still ain’t fuckin’ with me,” she bites in the chorus, adding, “Bitch, it’s summer, we outside, put some Yitty on your titties (we outside, ho).” In case you were confused about the swimwear she’s promoting, it is called YITTY.  She mentions her weight throughout, including the recurring lyric from the chorus, as well as the likes of, “Nigga wanna smash real bad, this nigga burnt out (He burnt out) / Never fucked a big bitch before, I got him turnt out.” Ooh, wee! Like “CRASHOUT” that precedes, “YITTY ON YO TITTYS (FREESTYLE)” is enjoyable without being game changing or transcendent.

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

“JUST 4 FUN”

One of the best songs from MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING is “JUST 4 FUN.” Zaytoven is behind the boards, working his magic with a relaxed, southern rap backdrop that Gucci Mane would eat up. Lizzo drops the best chorus yet from the mixtape, memorably singing, “Took your bitch just for fun / Ass so thick from the front / This my shit, turn it up / I’m that bitch, da-da-da.” Lizzo also brings the heat in the verses with some sharp lines.  The first verse commences with a bang: “Me and your bitch playin’ pitty-pat (Pitty-pat) / She got a fat ass, nigga, gimme that (Gimme that).” Woo! She’s even fiercer in the second verse, where she states, “Boy, if you ain’t on your job, I’m gon’ pull up and clock it.” Gah-day-um!

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

“GOTCHO BITCH”

“He can’t come around unless he send a dick pic / That’s that BTS, I’m talkin’ big hits.” Damn, Lizzy! Lizzo continues to kick ass and take names on “GOTCHO BITCH.” Six producers assemble this one: ATL Jacob, Tay Keith, Hendrix Smoke, Jasper Harris, Ricky Reed, and Zack Sekoff.  Why so many? “GOTCHO BITCH” is a two-part song meaning there is a distinct beat switch and change of pace.  Even though it’s sub-three minutes like most of MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING, it’s jam-packed.  It would be interesting to see just how many times Lizzo utters the word bitch… it’s a shit-ton.  In the chorus, everybody got your bitch, or so she says.  Who is everybody? Lizzo, Nicki, SZA, JT, Latto, GloRilla…  Wild but chock-full of attitude, energy, and sass, “GOTCHO BITCH” marks another moment from the tape with plenty of replay value.

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

“STILL CANT FUH” (Ft. Doja Cat)

Ah, the hits keep on coming on the cute MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING.  Unfortunately, he won’t be cumming (couldn’t resist). “Don’t care what I’m wearing, you still can’t fuck / Take me to dinner, you still can’t fuck.” Lizzo makes herself clear on “STILL CANT FUH” that he will not be fucking her… The unapologetic but infectious and unforgettable chorus continues to articulate that there will be no smashing, no matter how hard he tries! She taps fellow Grammy-winner Doja Cat (Amala Zandile Dlamini) for the assist. Lizzo co-wrote “STILL CANT FUH” with Doja Cat, Alex Goldblatt, Pop Wansel (Andrew Wansel), Ricky Reed, Jasper Harris, and Theron Thomas. Goldblatt, Harris, and Ricky Reed produced it.

The chorus lays out the lack of fuh-ing, while the post-chorus further cements the can’t, won’t, and still can’t… fuck! After a fiery start with the chorus and post-chorus, Lizzo doesn’t back down in the first verse.  Keeping the f-bombs flying, she spits, “Fuck these niggas and fuck these bitches, like, bye, I’m wildin’ / I’m not on Bumble, I’m not on Raya / Can’t get no neck with no back, you ain’t Khia / Upsettin’ these bitches like Cookinwitkya.” Mercy! Doja Cat is fiery, too. “Said, cocaine in his Hanes underwear / Everybody in here know what’s under there.” The Hanes line stands out, but Doja ends with a non-bang:  “Wouldn’t let him hit to stop a missile / ‘Just the tip,’ okay, I’ll cut it off / Beg for pussy, then I cut him off / Ain’t none of my clothes comin’ off (And you still won’t).” Brief but fun, “STILL CANT FUH” is an explicit way for Lizzo and Doja Cat to say, I don’t owe you sex, and you can’t make me give it to you.  Besides great performances and striking lyrics, the backdrop is sick with gospelized vocal patch, colorful keys and synths, and a knocking, hip-hop beat.

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

“NEW MISTAKES”

“NEW MISTAKES” has a tough act to follow.  Despite the cockblocking, “STILL CANT FUH” is the shit.  Those new mistakes, however, are drenched in Für Elise. What does that mean? “NEW MISTAKES” interpolates the Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) banger… It is a banger, though that’s not how one typically describes classic music. Ricky Reed, B Ham, Ryan OG, and Tobias Wincorn produced it. The interpolation is ‘in your face’, crafting the melody of the chorus.

“I just wanna make some new mistakes

Give this a break, throw love away

I thought that this was real, but it was fake

But that’s okay, you out the way

At least I’m through fuckin’ with you, but now I’m cool

And I can go and make some new mistakes

Sha-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.”

Maybe it’s too much Für Elise.  The real issue is that with such a superior, untouchable gem as the Beethoven piece is, “NEW MISTAKES” comes nowhere close to matching it, let alone exceeding it.  Perhaps mistakes, new or old, and Sha-la-la-las just don’t go with Beethoven, Lizzy! I will co-sign with Lizzo in one moment: “I got that drink in my system / I got that drink in my system / I’m grindin’ on somebody’s son / If he act right, he gon’ get some.” Hell yeah! Grind on, sis! In all fairness, some will love “NEW MISTAKES” while others may be irked and slightly annoyed.

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

“BEND IT OVA” 

“Am I doin’ too much? That’s to be determined / And I’m getting’ slim, don’t ask me to be the bigger person, ho.” I see what you did there, Lizzo. “BEND IT OVA” continues to find the artist exuding confidence and delivering risqué, unapologetic bars. Over a T-Minus and Nico Baran-produced backdrop, she focuses on pleasure for the majority of the song, hence why she’s bending it over.  Of the pleasure, in the chorus, she asserts, “Tonight might fuck up my liver (Uh-huh) / That dick make my coochie quiver.” WE LISTEN AND WE DON’T JUDGE! Beyond the lyric touting the quality of the peen, in the second verse, Lizzy informs us, “I’ma shoot my shot like I think I’m KD / I’m a firework, so I think I’m Katy / I like when he get mad, he be like, ‘Fuck you,’ fuck me (Fuck me).”

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

“LEFTRIGHT” 

The sex and bad bitching ways of MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING continue with “LEFTRIGHT”. “Go left, go right / Go left, right, left, right / My back is achin’, my belt too tight / My booty shakin’ from left to right.” Oh, snap, Melissa! Lizzo gives us a booty-shaking banger where she continues to give zero fuhs! Lizzo co-wrote “LEFTRIGHT” with Pop Wansel and John Morris. Wansel and Ricky Reed produced. From start to finish, she’s confident. “Queen Lizzy, bow down / Fuck ‘round and found out,” she spits in the first verse.  Regarding sexual matters, Lizzy asserts, “If he a Gemini ♊️, I might take him to pound town.” More striking than pound town is what she feels: “I can feel it through his denim, that’s a hard launch.” Damn! In the second verse, our self-described baddie continues her badass ways. She’s outside with her gay sons and thot daughters, after all! She’s bad because, “Bitch, I’m from Texas.” This badness – horniness and freakiness – finds her rapping, “Take me back to coochie cutters at the Freaknik / I can throw some ass and make a nigga sea sick / I can feel I through the boxers, baby, it’s big.” Holy shit, I mean, holy dick! In the outro, she hella bad: “I’ma work them cheeks, left, right / Goddamn, daddy, left, right / Up, down, up, down, left right / You would be mad if I left, right?” Ooh-wee! Over a minimalist but potent backdrop, Lizzo puts in some serious work on “LEFTRIGHT”.

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

“DROPPIN ON IT”

“Big girl knees and they givin’ like Megan / Pussy been poppin’, somethin’ you could put your faith in.” Aww, shiiittt! Lizzo continues to have carefree fun on “DROPPIN ON IT.” On this Ricky Reed-produced cut, Lizzo dips into bounce music, which is a pro.  An unserious joint, she’s focused on fun more than substance. “Bad bitches know they like to hop on the wood,” she spits in the chorus, continuing, “Thick bitches know they wanna hop on the wood.” Sex positivity, it’s all the rage!

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

“SUMMA SHIT”

Beyond droppin’ on it, Lizzo is on her “SUMMA SHIT.” There’s not much to it, evidenced by the chorus which affirms this summer shit.  Essentially, this track is a vibe. Lite on substance, but summery, as the title suggests.  Size matters but not like on “LEFTRIGHT”: “Whole lot of big, oh, fuck / Who lot of big bitches, shit / Whole lot of big bitches in a two-piece / Big like when I be flyin’ out by two seats.” Lizzo has lost a significant amount of weight, but, for some larger people (speaking from experience), body dysmorphia, still feeling big, etc., are part of the experience.  I have questions about the “Two thongs in my ass, where the pool at?” line, though… The soulful backdrop is a selling point, particularly how beautiful those keys sound against that trap beat. Oh, and once more, she mentions that YITTY.

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

“IRL” (Ft. SZA)

Uh-oh! Superstar collaboration! Lizzo enlists fellow Grammy winner SZA for the assist on “IRL.” Lizzo draws first blood, setting the tone. She maintains her rap-driven persona, which fits seamlessly over a sleek, mean-sounding backdrop. Unsurprisingly, she’s a what? A bad bitch, bi-otch! In the chorus, she tells us, “Can’t be no fake bitch / If it’s real, keep it real, we the only ones / Just make it shake, bitch / I don’t care what you wear if we havin’ fun.” SZA brings a kinder, gentler quality singing in the second verse. She’s still fierce, even with her cooler and smoother approach (“Diamonds dancin’, chain is bouncin’, dick inside me, I need that / Titties up, I need attention, favorite eater, call me back”).  All in all, “IRL” is a vibe, though, surprisingly, NOT the crowning achievement of MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING.

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

“CUT EM OFF”

“Ooh, oh my god, weird bitches / I’m scared 😱, spooky 👻, hahaha.” Woo! Zaytoven is back behind the boards on the eccentric “CUT EM OFF,” the penultimate cut from SMILING. He gives Lizzo an eerie but radiant instrumental to rap over. Once again, she drops her favorite curse word, a lot: bitch.  At this point, I’ve lost count of how many times she’s mentioned bitches but, it’s a helluva lot.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know what she is urging us to do to them: “If you’re lookin’ for a sign, cut them bitches off.” It’s not bad advice, by any means. By the end, she’s uttered the phrase so many times it makes the listener want to go and cut them bitches off.  Truthfully, Lizzo probably does have “a lot of frenemies,” as she raps in the verse.  One thing’s for sure, though… “A real bitch’ll put it in the music, jeez.” That, she did.  Now, cut them bitches, off!

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

“DITTO” 

“First of all, we ain’t gon’ stop like all these niggas ain’t tryna fuck on big girls / Then accuse me of fat shamin’? Goddamn, it’s a sick world.” Woo! “DITTO” concludes MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING. Following the intro, Lizzo gives us a verse (excerpted above), a chorus, and an outro.  The chorus is one of the better ones from the tape.

“It is what it is, but it ain’t what it ain’t, though

They swear that they friends ‘til you take ‘em off the payroll

In love with my fans and my bands and my pillow

My man call me baby, but the world call me.”

In the outro, where she spells her name, she thanks the listeners.  Being the bigger person, “And to the bitches who don’t love me back, I still love you, bitch.” Word. Besides confirming “It’s a Lizzo summer, bitch,” the most interesting revelation from the “DITTO” outro is “I did this shit in three motherfuckin’ days, bitch.” The recording process for MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING was not drawn out. Powers Pleasant, Thank You Fizzle, Frankie Bash, and Car!ton produced the closer, which samples the 2003 H-Town gem, “Still Tippin’” by Mike Jones featuring Slim Thug and Paul Wall (“Back then, they didn’t want me, now I’m hot, they all on me”).

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

The Verdict 👨🏾‍⚖️

So, how does MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING stack up? It’s a cute and fun mixtape. It is impressive that it was recorded in three days.  There is nothing transcendent or game-changing about this project, but as a lite rap project released in summer, it works.  There are some surefire bangers here. A few songs are less memorable, but there is nothing egregious to be found.  Does Lizzo say bitch way too much? Yes, but, this is the same person who informed us on Special, “I Love You Bitch”, so, it is what it is! Is it a Lizzo summer? Yes, it is!

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~