Lizzo's Coming To Metro To Conquer Chicago, Are You Ready?
By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 29, 2017 2:53PM
Lizzo
Though I stopped going to SXSW years ago, as an arts writer it is impossible—and unwise—to ignore which acts rose to the top, and this year the queen of Austin was clearly Lizzo. Just about every write-up of the fest, and any podcast or radio recap has included breathlessly exultant descriptions of Lizzo's live show.
Born in Houston but based in Minneapolis, Lizzo got her start in a couple female-led hip-hop collectives including Chalice and Grrl Party, before making the decision to go solo. She made her mark with 2013's Lizzobangers and 2015's Big Grrrl Small World, two album filled with ferocious rhymes and big beats. The tenor of both of those albums can feel dark and threatening at times, but on stage the songs are transformed into boisterous blasts of life-affirming anthems. She swaggers and bounces through songs that let everyone know Lizzo is in charge. But she keeps it relatable, a line in "Wat U Mean" like, "I remember being sad about boys and stuff / But that was way back in middle school / Now I'm making crowds make noise and stuff / And all my people back home like, 'who knew?'"
Last year's Coconut EP amped up the more party side of her beats without losing her lyrically sharp delivery. But it also poised her to leap into the big time. It allowed her to make the leap to a major label (Atlantic Records) without losing the energy that has keep her buzzing on a seemingly unstoppable upward trajectory from the underground.
We fully expected to see her on any number of Chicago music festival bills, and were resigned to seeing her show in the outdoors in the middle of the day. So imagine how excited we were this morning when it was announced she's be playing The Metro on June 9. Now we'll all have a chance to see an artist who is poised to make 2017 her year, right as she leaves the launchpad. Expect to get singed at this show.
Tickets go on sale Friday, March 31, at 10 a.m. Don't wait on these.