Special
| Lizzo
Special
Special is the fourth studio album by American singer and rapper Lizzo, released by Nice Life and Atlantic Records on July 15, 2022. It was preceded by the lead single "About Damn Time", released on April 14, 2022, which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and the top ten in twelve other countries. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Rolling Stone
Lizzo’s ‘Special’ Is A Radical Political Statement It’s also the best music she’s ever made.
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Pitchfork
As the relentlessly positive artist ascends to pop culture ubiquity, her hook-filled and saccharine music feels increasingly boxed in by the Lizzo brand.
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Variety
Lizzo’s ‘Special’ Is Even Bigger and Fizzier Fun Than We Imagined.
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The Guardian
The pressure she claims to be feeling doesn’t show on an album that delivers melancholy anthems and Chic-y disco while revitalising the cliches of self-care and empowerment.
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Stereogum
Although fierce, friendly, and plenty confident from start to finish, Special as a whole doesn’t really take any new chances, which can be frustrating, because we know so well how capable Lizzo is at shattering expectations. Not that any of this will stop the album and its singer from taking off even higher, reaching new stratospheres of mainstream visibility and TikTok virality. This high-gloss Lizzo might have the edge taken off, but there’s still no party on the block quite like hers.
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The Atlantic
The pop star’s new album continues her heartwarming world-domination plan.
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Consequence
When the world is still not widely and enthusiastically accepting of a plus-sized Black woman onstage like Lizzo — despite the fact that she is, as she points out, doing the most — it’s wonderful to see her making the music she wants to make, the way she wants it to be made. That right there is the crux of the album: She’s a very special entertainer, and she wants to share a bit of her magic with all of us, leaving us feeling that much more special, too.
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Mic
While her voice is as buoyant and unburdened as ever, the songwriting sags under the weight of its own desperation.
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NME
joyful superstar uplifts with self-assured, self-empowering bops.
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The Line of Best Fit
There are catchy tunes in here, ones that will inevitably get stuck in your head or be posted to a Millennial’s Instagram story with the caption “#MOOD” – “The Sign” or “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)”, most likely – but in crafting family-friendly radio pop, Lizzo’s own shine dims.
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The Ringer
It’s easygoing pop with a conscientious gloss, which more or less works for a performer as powerful as Lizzo.
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Hotpress
While the 12-track project may lack a certain sense of subtlety, we can't help but celebrate the move towards cheese-tinged disco. Special cements Lizzo’s status as a yearned for trailblazer in the business. With zero features, she’s earned that spotlight all to herself...it's about damn time.
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Riff Magazine
There’s plenty of material here for Lizzo to replicate the success she saw with Cuz I Love You. If bad American news cycles continue to persist and as the summer warms the country, we may be hearing Special for a while. It could be a hell of a lot worse.
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The Musical Hype
Oft-criticized, bigger-than-life, Grammy-winning pop star Lizzo delivers a consistent, sickening sophomore album with Special.
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Our Culture
Despite a few stylistic variations, though, what bogs Special down is the giddy uniformity of its message, and it doesn’t take long before it becomes cumbersome rather than empowering. It’s an unfortunate misstep from an artist who can do a far better job of dancing her way to healing.
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Ratings Game Music
You deserve to listen to music that makes you feel good inside. I mean, you don’t have to listen to shoot ’em up music; you just choose to. With that being said, I think Special is one of the most refreshing, entertaining, and energetic bodies of work that I listened to this year.
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AllMusic
Far from a rehash of Cuz I Love You, Special finds Lizzo revealing new layers to the genuine songwriting and generous spirit that has defined her music since the beginning.
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Exclaim!
Although inconsistent at times, Special contains enough effusive catchiness and unapologetic positivity to make it an enjoyable summer listen.
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Evening Standard
Lizzo’s fourth album feels like a party in your honour from the moment you press play.
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The Independent
This irresistible album is overflowing with love and gratitude to friends, family, lovers and fans.
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The Young Folks
Lizzo really hammers home the idea that in spite of what others may think, we’re all worthy of the freedom that comes from being ourselves. Special is her greatest project so far, and her future as an artist is sure to be bright!
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Medium
Lizzo still takes the safe route for this body positivity image, but more radically. There are politics, sexuality, and social justice in this album. Can she write a song that doesn’t discuss her plus size or is it just a gig? Each track mirrors her previous ones. “Juice” has the same groovy beat as “About Damn Time.” Hopefully, we see Lizzo use more creativity in her next LP because she has musical potential. One thing is for sure, she will keep spreading her message.
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Spectrum Pulse
And for an album that leans so hard on the emotionality of identity and empowerment to lose unique flair between projects and feel less convincing at its core… that’s a cruel irony I couldn’t escape. I’m not saying this is bad - I’m not in the target audience but Lizzo is too much of a talent and there’s too many decent moments to call this a total misfire - but it’s not especially good either, and if this underperforms… well, that wouldn’t feel special at all.
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Stereoboard
Lizzo pulled out all the stops to make ‘Special’ just that, with the record boasting co-production and co-writes with Max Martin, Mark Ronson, Blake Slatkin, Ian Kirkpatrick, Pop Wansel, and Kid Harpoon, among others. But it’s her personality, vision and aspirational blend of insecurity and confidence that form the rock solid foundations upon which everything else is built.
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Sputnik Music
Overall, this record has an abundance of range and features some of Lizzo’s best vocal performances to date. While each song doesn’t reinvent the wheel, they do feel complete and well fleshed out to the point where this feels like an essential listen for fans of R&B and hip hop. It’s certainly a massive surprise for me to have this positive of an experience with a Lizzo record but here we are, and I couldn’t be happier.
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DIY Magazine
Lizzo’s breakthrough came in a blast of glitter-soaked celebration, then its follow-up might be more complex but it’s almost certainly the right move for the superstar to have made.
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Uproxx
Lizzo’s ‘Special’ Is Fun, Relatable, And Therapeutic.
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