Themes of self-love and empowerment have long been cornerstones of Lizzo’s music, allowing her to light up genre-blending tracks that seamlessly transitioned from soul to pop to rap. On ‘Bitch’ there’s something missing. While there are some really nice songs here, it doesn’t appear that her heart is in it like it used to be.
Her fifth album emerges following a difficult period in her career, the reclamation of its title both powerful and divisive, and opens with the excellent Happy 2 Be, home to a deep, funky bass riff and impressive balance between soul tones and hip-hop cadences. Don’t Make Me Love U is another atmospheric hit, changing things up with muted ‘80s synths and ballad-esque vocals.
The title track, fittingly, borrows its hook from Meredith Brooks’ 1997 alt-rock hit, while comfortably the strongest moment here is That GRRRL.
The instrumental has fantastic tension, with Lizzo switching between tight rapping in the verses and powerful vocals in the chorus. It feels carefully crafted and incredibly well put together.
But the same can’t be said for Whose Hair Is This and Little Black Cat, two songs that are both lacklustre and somewhat unfinished. They start a skid at the record’s midpoint, their slower pacing sucking momentum away. ‘Bitch’ demonstrates a lot of Lizzo’s talents and some songs really deliver satisfying payoffs but, as a whole, it misses the mark.
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