Lizzo is back on her feet — and moving to another ’80s-ish beat. The singer released “Love in Real Life,” her first single since a group of dancers filed a lawsuit against her in 2023. The new song has her leaning into a comeback. “Everything was so much simpler,” she says in a spoken intro. “And that’s exactly what I need. No views, no likes. Real love. In real life.” The song and music video find Lizzo picking herself up to go out dancing, praying, “Tequila, do your job, girl.” She’s back in her groovy, Prince-emulating sweet spot on the track, and interpolating the “Hey! Ho!” of the Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop” for good throwback measure. “I might make an appearance since I look this fine,” she sings. “Plus, it’s been a while.”
It definitely has. “Real Life” follows Lizzo’s 2022 album, Special, which included her Grammy-winning single, “About Damn Time.” She toured well into 2023, and sang “Pink,” the intro song to Barbie. But in August of that same year, a group of former dancers sued Lizzo and her team for harassment, among other claims. Lizzo denied the allegations but went quiet for a little while, canceling a 2023 headlining appearance at Jay-Z’s Made in America Festival. But now, her comeback will continue in real life with her first shows since the controversy next month, a series of underplays in Los Angeles (March 12), New York (March 16), and her hometown of Minneapolis (March 18). Per a press release, there’ll be “more music and surprises soon.” In other words, the album’s coming.
