Lizzo is not easing back in. The four-time GRAMMY and Emmy Award-winning singer, songwriter, rapper, and actress has released “Don’t Make Me Love U,” a new single and video that kicks off a brand new musical era. Produced by longtime collaborators Ricky Reed and Cheche Alara, the anthemic ballad is as emotionally grounded as anything she has released, and it lands with full force.
The video, directed by Tanner K Williams and shot by Bentley Rawle, is surreal, cinematic, and deliberately cerebral. It follows Lizzo alongside Lizzy, her alter ego, through a familiar internal struggle of confronting your past self, sitting with it, and eventually moving through it. Sincere and satirical in equal measure, it is a visual statement that matches the weight of the song.
The release follows a fully sold-out run of 12 performances at Blue Note Jazz Club locations in Los Angeles and New York. Variety called the shows a reminder of “what a major talent Lizzo is: a top-class singer, an engaging and entertaining performer, and to a degree we haven’t really seen before, a trained, serious musician.” She followed those dates with a sold-out performance at the Houston Rodeo in front of more than 70,000 fans.
Beyond the music, Lizzo has announced her first ever children’s book, ‘Lil Lizzo Meets Sasha B. Flootin”, published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and arriving September 8, 2026. The story follows a bubbly little girl who wants to belong and a brassy flute who cannot find her tune, winding up on a wild adventure through incredible sounds. It is a natural extension of an artist who has always led with joy and creativity.
Lizzo’s track record speaks for itself. Her Diamond record “Truth Hurts” dominated the Hot 100 for seven weeks, making her the longest running No. 1 solo female rap artist ever. “About Damn Time” made history at the 2023 GRAMMYs as the first Record of the Year win by a Black woman since 1994. Rolling Stone named “Truth Hurts” one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. “Don’t Make Me Love U” is the opening move of whatever comes next, and it is a strong one.