“'Scuse Me' celebrates the BODY. I wrote this song to immortalize my curves”.
Lizzo, Twitter
Detroit born and Houston-raised indie alt-rapper Lizzo’s “Scuse Me" lies somewhere between Beyonce's "***Flawless" and Meghan Trainor's "All About That Base". The production for the track is more minimalist than both, but Lizzo brings enough well-earned sass, authenticity and sultriness to the table to champion body positivity, sex positivity and self confidence in a way that everyone - and particularly black women - can appreciate:
"A lot of my fans are backpackers and white kids, but as much as I love that, when I got to tour with SZA I saw black women in the audience, and the way they connected with my music was different than I had experienced. I wanted to do a song that celebrated that and also celebrated myself."
Lizzo, Rolling Stone
"Scuse Me" is not a feminist lightning rod like "***Flawless" or a feel-good catchy tune in line with Trainor's enormous hit. Instead, Lizzo's brash confidence (encapsulated in the memorable refrain 'Feelin' like a stripper when I'm lookin' in the mirror/ I'll be slappin' on that ass gettin' thicker and thicker') hints at the journey she undertook to reach that rare point of self-realization and self-love. She effortlessly alternatives between her sung and rap verses, hitting home the song's unapologetic message after prolonged bass drops and accelerated drum sequences:
'I don't see nobody else'Scuse me while I feel myself'Scuse me while I feel myselfI don't see nobody else'Scuse me while I feel myself'Scuse me while I feel myselfFeelin' like a stripper when I'm lookin' in the mirrorI'll be slappin' on that ass gettin' thicker and thickerOk, now spoonin' youNow start it tooThat spoon, spoonThat spoon, spoonI don't need a crown to know that I'm a queenI don't need a crown to know that I'm a queen'
Lyrics: Genius
Lizzo has yet to follow up her well-received debut album Big Grrrl Small World (2015) ("Scuse Me" in on the Coconut Oil (2016) EP she released last year ), but the self-proclaimed “big fine bitch” and “fat feminist” has already proved herself as a talented and charismatic rapper with a slew of messages that makes you wonder when you last described a popular musician as a genuinely positive role model.
