Lizzo's return to Nashville was something 'Special'

With the very first line she sang at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Lizzo asked a question that she and everyone else in the room already knew the answer to.

“…Did you miss me?”

Our ears, still ringing, can confirm the people of Music City did.

It's been three years since the pop star, dancer and body positivity champion last performed in town. In 2019, as her breakthrough hit “Truth Hurts” was still at the top of the charts, she headlined the Ryman Auditorium – inspiring many in the crowd of 2,000 to twerk atop the venue’s historic pews.

On Sunday night, she was back, performing for audience roughly eight times the size of that at country music’s mother church.

“I've been home since 2020,” she sang during show opener “The Sign.”

“I've been twerkin' and making smoothies, it's called ‘healing.’”

In truth, a lot more has happened in Lizzo’s world since we last saw her, including being booked to headline Bonnaroo 2020 and 2021 (both of which were canceled).

The pandemic gave her the time and space to smoothly dodge a “sophomore slump” (we know “Special” is her fourth album, but it’s her second as a mainstream star.) She’s also been able to build a massive stage show, one that suits her boundless confidence and charisma – as well as a much larger audience.

The 34-year-old Detroit native used to tour with two backup dancers and a DJ. These days, her crew of choreographed “Big Grrrls” features eight dancers, and DJ Sophia Eris is flanked by a brilliant four-piece band and two backup vocalists.

But even as those talents flood the stage and give her songs a deserved boost, Lizzo — a shimmering presence in whatever she wore — stays in focus.

Most of us have gotten to know the singer through her Top 40 hits, social media presence and pop culture turns like her recent “SNL” hosting gig. But in person, you get a clear, real-time view at what put her in that position in the first place. She’s a tireless, committed and present performer, and a powerful vocalist who rarely pauses to catch her breath.

“That Internet s*** is nice,” she said, recalling her pandemic period at home. “….But this is where the love is, Nashville.”

And Music City, even in week five of the “Special” tour, stood out.

“This is already the rowdiest crowd we’ve had thus far,” Lizzo proclaimed after just a handful of songs. Soon, she was right on their wavelength, tossing out “Yee-haws” as freely as profanity, and often in tandem.

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While it seemed the energy had peaked early, the room had one more notch – revealed by a backloaded set list that crammed “Cuz I Love You,” “Truth Hurts” and “Good as Hell” in the last 30 minutes. She kept the momentum up between songs, even when urging fans to vote in the midterm elections.

“I want to endorse you, the people,” she said. “I believe in you. I trust you, Tennessee. I trust that you believe that all people deserve basic human rights.”

But first and foremost, the night was “a self-love fest.”

“Every day, I want you to look in the mirror and say something kind about yourself,” Lizzo said, before “Good As Hell” gave way to an encore of “Juice” and “About Damn Time.”

“And if you can’t figure it out on your own, let me help you. Say, ‘I love you. You are beautiful. And you can do anything.’”

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Lizzo returns to Nashville to perform for first time in three years