Lizzo Just Revealed Why She’s Pulling Back From the Internet

Lizzo is back in the spotlight with a new PAPER Magazine cover and a clear message about where she’s focusing her energy next.

In a wide-ranging interview with the magazine, Lizzo discusses music, beauty, business, and why she’s shifting her focus from online discourse to prioritize real-life connections with fans.

The 37-year-old Grammy and Emmy winner is fresh off releasing her mixtape My Face Hurts From Smiling, which features Doja Cat, SZA, and gang vocals from her best friends on “We Outside.” Her next full-length album, Love in Real Life, is slated for release later this year.

The project title reflects Lizzo’s evolving relationship with social media. “I need to prioritize my fan base in real life, my friends in real life, my relationships in real life, myself in real life,” she says, adding that likes can be misleading: “You get a million likes on a photo…but you don’t know where those likes are from. The likes could be hate likes.”

On confidence and body image, Lizzo keeps it direct: “I’ve been fat, I’ve been skinny, but I’ve always been this pretty.” While she was once known for posting bold nudes, she says she’s “probably a bit more modest” now, favoring intentional fashion moments over shock value.

Musically, Lizzo’s latest drop leans into rap—by design. “I’m rapping because I felt like rapping… I’ve been told not to rap for so long that I’m about to do everything people told me I couldn’t do.”

She also confirms that she plans to tour with the new album, citing the power of seeing fans in person: performing for people who “buy tickets, show up, find babysitters” is the kind of connection she values most. Crowd favorites include “To Be Loved” and “Am I Ready.”

Beyond music, Lizzo’s shapewear and lifestyle brand Yitty continues to expand, and she’s developing and set to star in a film about rock pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe—she’s currently learning guitar for the role.