Video: Lizzo – “Rumors” (ft. Cardi B)

Directed by Tanu Muino. Single out now.

I missed out on Lizzo’s first wave. I’ll admit it wasn’t until I saw her appearance on that Dave Letterman Netflix show that I realized how great she was. Since then, of course, like any decent human being, I play “Juice” every time more than one person is gathered together and drinks are consumed.

Not sure if “Rumors” rises to that level of impressiveness, but not much does. Cardi is as spicy as ever and once again proves herself impossible to deny.

My favorite bit is where Lizzo says, “This shit from my soul, yeah / Black people made rock and roll, yeah.” Because it’s true. In the video she sings this line next to giant vase featuring a figure that looks like Sister Rosetta Tharpe dressed like a Greek goddess (i.e., toga, no pants).

Of the 29 pre-Elvis songs on my chronological history of rock and roll playlist that I obsessed over for most of this summer, 22 of them are by Black people. Five of those are by Black women. And the seven songs by hillbillies are all influenced by Black people. So claiming that “Black people made rock and roll” is factually accurate and indisputable.

So yeah, Lizzo rules.