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Big Grrrl Small World

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Big Grrrl Small World
Studio album by
Lizzo
ReleasedDecember 11, 2015 (2015-12-11)
Recorded2013–2015
GenreHip hop[1]
Length43:30
LabelBGSW
Producer
Lizzo chronology
Lizzobangers
(2013) 		Big Grrrl Small World
(2015) 		Coconut Oil
(2016)
Singles from Big Grrrl Small World
  1. "Humanize"
    Released: October 13, 2015[2]
  2. "Ain't I"
    Released: October 27, 2015[3]
  3. "My Skin"
    Released: November 18, 2015[4]

Big Grrrl Small World (sometimes stylized as Big GRRRL Small World)[5][6] is the second studio album by American rapper and singer Lizzo.[7] It was released on her own record label BGSW[8] on December 11, 2015.[9] The album received "generally favorable reviews" from critics.[10]

Production

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As soon as her debut studio album Lizzobangers was released in 2013, Lizzo started writing new songs.[11] She made at least 25 demos that didn't end up on Big Grrrl Small World.[11] The oldest song on the album is "The Fade".[12]

In 2014, Lizzo participated in StyleLikeU's What's Underneath project, where she removed her clothes as she talked about her relationships with her body.[13] Inspired by the experience, she wrote "My Skin",[13] which she described as "the thesis statement of the album".[12] In a 2015 interview with Vice, she said: "You can wake up and change many things about your appearance, but the inevitability of waking up in your skin is what unifies us."[13]

The recording of the album took place at Justin Vernon's April Base Studios in Fall Creek, Wisconsin.[14]

Release

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The album was released on BGSW on December 11, 2015.[9] In 2019, the album was removed from all streaming services and digital retailers, to aid in Lizzo's campaign for Best New Artist at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.[15]

Music videos

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Music videos were created for "My Skin"[16] and "Humanize".[17] Paste placed the video for "My Skin" at number 8 on the "25 Best Music Videos of 2015" list.[18]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic79/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
DIY[19]
The Guardian[20]
NME4/5[21]
The Observer[22]
Paste8.2/10[23]
Pitchfork7.5/10[24]
Spin7/10[9]

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 79, based on 10 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]

Alexis Petridis of The Guardian gave the album four stars out of five, saying, "the album's tracks display a marked tendency to end up in an entirely different place from where they started, helped by the fact that Lizzo is as strong a vocalist as she is a rapper."[20]

Hilary Saunders of Paste gave the album an 8.2 out of 10, praising Lizzo's "ability to rap and sing with equal tenacity."[23]

Andrea Swensson of The Current wrote: "There's an old feminist adage that says that the personal is political, and Lizzo seems to understand this concept intrinsically."[25]

Top ten lists

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Star Tribune placed the album at number 3 on the "Twin Cities Critics Tally 2015" list.[26] Spin placed it at number 17 on the "50 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015" list.[1]

Track listing

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All tracks written by Melissa "Lizzo" Jefferson.

Big Grrrl Small World track listing
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Ain't I"
3:55
2."Betcha"Burton2:59
3."Ride"
3:50
4."Humanize"Burton3:30
5."Bother Me"Burton5:02
6."B.G.S.W."Stefon "Bionik" Taylor3:16
7."The Fade"Taskforce2:59
8."1 Deep"Burton3:26
9."The Realest"Burton3:54
10."En Love"Taylor3:24
11."My Skin"Taylor4:18
12."Jang a Lang"Taylor2:51
Total length:43:30

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the 2015 CD edition's liner notes.

  • Lizzo – vocals, flute
  • BJ Burton – production (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9), executive production, vocals, vocoder, guitar, synthesizer, drum programming
  • Sam Spiegel – production (1)
  • Jake Troth – production (1)
  • Lazerbeak – production (3), drum programming
  • Stefon "Bionik" Taylor – production (6, 10, 11, 12), turntables, guitar, synthesizer, drum programming
  • Taskforce – production (7), drum programming
  • Sophia Eris – vocals
  • Claire Monesterio – vocals
  • Quinn Wilson – vocals
  • Eric Mayson – vocals, piano, synthesizer
  • Justin Vernon – vocoder, synthesizer
  • Francis Starlite – synthesizer, drum programming
  • Ryan Olson – synthesizer
  • Nelson Devereaux – saxophone
  • Ben Lester – pedal steel guitar
  • James Buckley – upright bass, bass guitar
  • Joey Van Phillips – drums
  • Huntley Miller – mastering

References

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  1. ^ a b "The 50 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015 (page 2 of 2)". Spin. December 16, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  2. ^ "Humanize - Single by Lizzo". iTunes. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  3. ^ "Ain't I - Single by Lizzo". iTunes. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  4. ^ "My Skin - Single by Lizzo". iTunes. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  5. ^ Minsker, Evan (October 13, 2015). "Lizzo Announces Big GRRRL Small World Featuring Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, Shares "Humanize"". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  6. ^ Day, Laurence (December 9, 2015). "Lizzo streams new record Big GRRRL Small World in full ahead of its release". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  7. ^ Boller, Jay (October 13, 2015). "Twin Cities rap phenom Lizzo drops new single, album deets". City Pages. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  8. ^ Day, Laurence (October 13, 2015). "Lizzo announces second record Big GRRRL Small World, shares lead cut "Humanize"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c Weiss, Dan (December 7, 2015). "Review: Lizzo Is Primed for WRRRLD Domination on 'Big GRRRL Small World'". Spin. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  10. ^ a b c "Big GRRRL Small World by Lizzo". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  11. ^ a b Fox, Killian (January 10, 2016). "Lizzo: 'This time I tried to be more benevolent than belligerent'". The Observer. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  12. ^ a b Carr, Maggie (February 24, 2016). "Lizzo Goes Glam And Gets Real In Our Fashion Editorial And Interview". Bust. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  13. ^ a b c Bennett, Kim Taylor (December 1, 2015). ""My Blackness Is My Largest Assumed 'Accessory'": Lizzo Breaks Down Her Video for "My Skin"". Vice. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  14. ^ Goggins, Joe (December 9, 2015). "Lizzo: "I'm not this crazy, axe-wielding girl any more"". DIY. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  15. ^ Fekadu, Mesfin (August 14, 2019). "Lizzo's 2-year-old song might still qualify at 2020 Grammys". AP News. Associated Press. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  16. ^ Riemenschneider, Chris (December 7, 2015). "Lizzo to play Colbert's show Thursday after revealing her 'My Skin' video". Star Tribune. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  17. ^ Keaney, Quinn (February 19, 2019). "A 10-Song Introduction to the Infectious Power of Lizzo (page 9 of 10)". PopSugar. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  18. ^ Saunders, Hilary (December 16, 2015). "The 25 Best Music Videos of 2015". Paste. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  19. ^ Shawn, Emma (December 11, 2015). "Lizzo - Big GRRL Small World". DIY. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  20. ^ a b Petridis, Alexis (December 17, 2015). "Lizzo: Big Grrrl, Small World review – hot-button hip-hop full of gleeful power". The Guardian. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  21. ^ Ellen, Tom (December 2, 2015). "Lizzo – 'Big GRRRL Small World'". NME. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  22. ^ Empire, Kitty (December 13, 2015). "Lizzo: Big Grrrl Small World review – feminist self-affirmation and braggadocio". The Observer. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  23. ^ a b Saunders, Hilary (December 15, 2015). "Lizzo: Big GRRRL Small World Review". Paste. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  24. ^ Asaph, Katherine St. (December 10, 2015). "Lizzo: Big GRRRL Small World". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  25. ^ Swensson, Andrea (December 14, 2015). "Album of the Week: Lizzo, 'Big GRRRL Small World'". The Current. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  26. ^ Riemenschneider, Chris (December 31, 2015). "Twin Cities Critics Tally 2015: Low's 'Ones and Sixes' is No. 1 album". Star Tribune. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
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