purple cassette version - Three of the weirder years have passed since Lizzo’s breakthrough album Cuz I Love You. Still, the former Melissa Jefferson seems blithely unaffected: Special sounds like it could’ve been released the week after. As ever, the US singer-songwriter’s good-egg energy suffuses the set, and her accessible, disco-tinged pop is taken to another level by her wonderful way with words. Lizzo takes a rapper’s pen to pop lyrics, with authenticity and immediacy prized over mindless cliche. It’s been tried before, but rarely with this sort of panache. On top of that, her voice is eighth-wonder territory – fabulously powerful yet infinitely flexible, an appealing blend of confidence and yearning.
A1 | The Sign |
A2 | About Damn Time |
A3 | Grrrls |
A4 | 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) |
A5 | I Love You Bitch |
A6 | Special |
B1 | Break Up Twice |
B2 | Everybody's Gay |
B3 | Naked |
B4 | Birthday Girl |
B5 | If You Love Me |
B6 | Coldplay |