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]
| Big Grrrl Small World | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 11, 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2013–2015 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop[1] | |||
| Length | 43:30 | |||
| Label | BGSW | |||
| Producer |
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| Lizzo chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Big Grrrl Small World | ||||
Production
editAs 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
editThe 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
editMusic 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
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 79/100[10] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| DIY |   [19] |
| The Guardian | [20] |
| NME | 4/5[21] |
| The Observer | [22] |
| Paste | 8.2/10[23] |
| Pitchfork | 7.5/10[24] |
| Spin | 7/10[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
editStar 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
editAll tracks written by Melissa "Lizzo" Jefferson.
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ain't I" |
| 3:55 |
| 2. | "Betcha" | Burton | 2:59 |
| 3. | "Ride" |
| 3:50 |
| 4. | "Humanize" | Burton | 3:30 |
| 5. | "Bother Me" | Burton | 5:02 |
| 6. | "B.G.S.W." | Stefon "Bionik" Taylor | 3:16 |
| 7. | "The Fade" | Taskforce | 2:59 |
| 8. | "1 Deep" | Burton | 3:26 |
| 9. | "The Realest" | Burton | 3:54 |
| 10. | "En Love" | Taylor | 3:24 |
| 11. | "My Skin" | Taylor | 4:18 |
| 12. | "Jang a Lang" | Taylor | 2:51 |
| Total length: | 43:30 | ||
Personnel
editCredits 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
edit- ^ a b "The 50 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015 (page 2 of 2)". Spin. December 16, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
- ^ "Humanize - Single by Lizzo". iTunes. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ "Ain't I - Single by Lizzo". iTunes. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ "My Skin - Single by Lizzo". iTunes. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (October 13, 2015). "Lizzo Announces Big GRRRL Small World Featuring Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, Shares "Humanize"". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Boller, Jay (October 13, 2015). "Twin Cities rap phenom Lizzo drops new single, album deets". City Pages. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c "Big GRRRL Small World by Lizzo". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ a b Fox, Killian (January 10, 2016). "Lizzo: 'This time I tried to be more benevolent than belligerent'". The Observer. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ a b Carr, Maggie (February 24, 2016). "Lizzo Goes Glam And Gets Real In Our Fashion Editorial And Interview". Bust. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Goggins, Joe (December 9, 2015). "Lizzo: "I'm not this crazy, axe-wielding girl any more"". DIY. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Riemenschneider, Chris (December 7, 2015). "Lizzo to play Colbert's show Thursday after revealing her 'My Skin' video". Star Tribune. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
- ^ Keaney, Quinn (February 19, 2019). "A 10-Song Introduction to the Infectious Power of Lizzo (page 9 of 10)". PopSugar. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
- ^ Saunders, Hilary (December 16, 2015). "The 25 Best Music Videos of 2015". Paste. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
- ^ Shawn, Emma (December 11, 2015). "Lizzo - Big GRRL Small World". DIY. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Ellen, Tom (December 2, 2015). "Lizzo – 'Big GRRRL Small World'". NME. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ Empire, Kitty (December 13, 2015). "Lizzo: Big Grrrl Small World review – feminist self-affirmation and braggadocio". The Observer. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ a b Saunders, Hilary (December 15, 2015). "Lizzo: Big GRRRL Small World Review". Paste. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ Asaph, Katherine St. (December 10, 2015). "Lizzo: Big GRRRL Small World". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ Swensson, Andrea (December 14, 2015). "Album of the Week: Lizzo, 'Big GRRRL Small World'". The Current. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ 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.