Halfway through her Saturday night headlining set at WeHo Pride’s Outloud Music Festival, Lizzo got real.
Following a soaring version of her breakout 2016 single “Good as Hell,” the Grammy-winning superstar silently surveyed her warm, welcoming audience. After her public legal battles and mental health struggles of the past few years, it seemed like Lizzo was reconnecting in real time to the joy of playing music.
More from Spin:
- Foo Fighters, Chappell Roan Head South For Corona Capital
- Sabrina Carpenter Calls Out A ‘Manchild’ On New Single
- No “Kidding”: Alex Warren Expands Latest LP
It was touching, and if I’m being honest, unexpected. Going into this show, I was concerned. To me, everything of late from Lizzo and her camp—the singles, the sporadic gigs, the slow album roll-out—had come off as tentative at best, defensive at worst. From my online vantage point, Lizzo looked like an artist who was retreating, so I was fearing a concert that would see her faking a facade of positivity and charm in an attempt to pretend nothing’s changed.
But Lizzo showed up authentically—proving that the infectious, iconoclastic R&B, pop, and hip-hop-blending artist she is is still thriving. But she was also different, clear from the moment she walked on stage in a rocker-ish black T and denim cut-offs to sing AND play guitar on the title track of her upcoming album, “Love in Real Life.” Hearing this (and later her other new single, “Still Bad”) live turned out to be the exact context these songs needed. What came off as guarded and deflective on headphones now plays as an honest admission of fear from an artist who’s also concerned about her next move.
The hourlong set found Lizzo trying new things, and becoming more and more assured as each landed successfully. She added new flourishes to her biggest hits, like personally shredding on guitar for “Juice,” and brought back early fan favorite “Phone” for its first concert appearance in five years. Her fresh troupe of dancers brought throbbing electricity to “Truth Hurts,” and a burlesque performer injected a healthy dose of camp into “Everybody’s Gay.”
Lizzo also debuted a new song about owning her recent backlash—featuring lines like “I ain’t lost sleep since I slept in my car”—that became an instant sing-along thanks to its incorporation of the refrain from Meredith Brooks’ “Bitch.” And since this was Outloud, Lizzo also offered a moving rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” complete with flute solo and a touching tribute to activist, icon, and arguably the mother of Pride, Marsha P. Johnson.
“I’ve been through a lot of shit, a lot of dark times, and you know who never left my side?” Lizzo answered by gesturing to her LGBTQ+ fanbase, who she then thanked directly with, “Cuz I Love You.” Was this expression of gratitude at a Pride festival planned? Of course. But again, it wasn’t coming from the always-smiling, always-positive Lizzo of years past. This was a more human Lizzo, who also opened up about her depression. “Now is when all the Lizzo songs and positive affirmations are put into motherfucking practice,” she joked, before sharing how even she knows music isn’t enough for one’s mental health. Or as she put it, “Reach out to strangers, bitch.”
And reach out to us bitches she did. Lizzo closed out the night with a cover of Diana Ross’ immortal “I’m Coming Out” into a pulsing, celebratory “About Damn Time” that built to nothing less than a stage full of waving Pride flags. This was more like the over-the-top expression of joy you’d expect from 2022 Lizzo, but coming after a vulnerable set that reminded you of the human behind the music, it felt earned—a welcome kick off to Pride 2025.
Also, feeling welcome is the Outloud Music Festival. Now in its fourth year, Outloud has become an established, well-oiled addition to one of America’s oldest Pride celebrations, feeling more like a fun yet casual neighborhood street fair more than a music festival featuring A-listers. You can check out a fresh, all-Doechii lip sync set from Drag Race’s current reigning queen Onya Nerve, then catch a pulse-pounding, bilingual set from Brazil’s drag superstar Pabllo Vittar, and rush back to dance amidst pool floats and a diverse array of mesh outfits to the fantastic DJ collective Horse Meat Disco. You even had international pop star Kim Petras mixing sex, hyper-pop, and TikTok-style videos for a thrilling dance party… while wearing a glittered-up walking boot cast. Much like Lizzo’s set, Outloud is an event that manages to infuse glamour and spectacle with a chill humanity.
To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.
