Grammy award-winning singer Lizzo interviewed with Howard Stern on December 12 to talk about a hot topic from her HBO documentary Love Lizzo. On the Howard Stern Show, she addressed some criticism she got that said she allegedly makes “white music.” 

Lizzo admitted it was hurtful, “[It is] very hurtful only because I am a Black woman. I feel like it challenges my identity and who I am. It diminishes that, which I think is really hurtful. And on the other end, I’m making funky, soulful, feel-good music that is so similar to a lot of Black music that was made for Black people in the ’70s and ’80s.” 

She continued to emphasize that she wanted to make universal music to spread the message she preaches in its production, “Then, on top of that, my message is literally for everybody and anybody. And I don’t try to gatekeep my message from people.” The ‘About Damn Time’ singer said, “So, all three of those things from me, and I’m like, you don’t even get me at all.”

Lizzo explained that her recent documentary was a response to feeling like people didn’t understand her: I feel like a lot of people truthfully don’t get me, which is why I wanted to do the documentary. I feel like y’all don’t get me. Y’all don’t know where I came from. And now, I don’t want to answer no more questions about this s***. I just want to show the world who I am.”

Lizzo has said in the past that it was important to her to express her Black identity in her music, and that’s why it was particularly hurtful for it to be attacked by people. “I am not making music for white people. I am a Black woman; I am making music from my Black experience, for me to heal myself [from] the experience we call life,” she opened up to the outlet, “If I can help other people, hell yeah, because we are the most marginalized and neglected people in this country. We need self-love and self-love anthems more than anybody.”