Lizzo’s new album Special drops next week - the first big global release of the second half of 2022.
It follows some blockbuster releases in Q2, including albums from Harry Styles, George Ezra, Liam Gallagher, Kendrick Lamar and Florence + The Machine.
Expectations are high for Lizzo, as revealed in the latest issue of Music Week in which we speak to Warner Chappell Music CEO & co-chair Guy Moot, Atlantic co-president Briony Turner and Damian Christian, MD and president of promotions.
Atlantic triumphed in the Record Company Of The Year category at the Music Week Awards.
The Lizzo campaign has got off to a flying start with About Damn Time, which peaked at No.3 on the singles chart and became her first UK radio airplay No.1. The track enjoyed strong support at radio including BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2.
Prompted by a fan backlash last month, Lizzo changed the derogatory lyrics to a new track, Grrrls, and released an updated version.
About Damn Time has UK sales to date of 324,526, according to the Official Charts Company. The single is set for its ninth week in the Top 10.
Although Lizzo’s 2019 LP Cuz I Love You peaked at No.30, it has racked up sales of 176,454 (including 145,904 streams).
Lizzo’s biggest-selling single to date is 2016’s Good As Hell (1,337,562 sales), which actually peaked at No.7 in late 2019. Juice only made No.38 but has still amassed sales of 738,906, while Truth Hurts just cracked the Top 30 and has racked up 843,227 sales.
Ahead of the Special album release on July 15, Lizzo is currently on 34,113,530 monthly Spotify listeners.
Here, Warner Chappell’s Guy Moot discusses the songwriting prowess of Lizzo, her biggest UK chart hit and sync opportunities on the new campaign…
What are Lizzo's strengths as a songwriter, how has she developed on this project?
“As a songwriter, Lizzo is a true master of her craft and brings in so many different influences from R&B to funk to rock. Her music is relatable and reflective of her own life experiences, and I think that is what makes this project so special – she’s using songwriting to uplift and empower fans all around the world. You can’t categorise her music and that really shows the depth of who she is both as a songwriter and an artist.”
Lizzo’s a creative catalyst; ideas just seem to spin off of her
Guy Moot
About Damn Time is her biggest UK chart hit in terms of peak position - what's the particular strength of this song?
“About Damn Time is such a feelgood song with a relevant message, and that’s resonating with people across the globe. She’s capturing fans with her authenticity and relatability, and reassuring them that it’s okay to be yourself.
“She was on the cusp of really connecting with the UK market before Covid hit, so I think this success is something we could all see was possible. This feels like the beginning for her expansion as an international act.”
What are the sync opportunities for this record?
“The TV, film, and advertising world embraced her early on – she had so many sync opportunities with her last album, and we expect that will only continue with Special. Lizzo’s a creative catalyst; ideas just seem to spin off of her, and clients are drawn to that energy and recognise that her music can be used across a variety of mediums.”
Subscribers can read the full Lizzo feature here.
FOLLOW 
