With her Special album, Lizzo is seeking to bring positivity into the world while also honouring the journey that she’s been on since the arrival of 2019’s Cuz I Love You. “Concepts have never really been my bag. It feels like I’m lying,” she told Apple Music. “Instead, I just wrote honestly about where I’ve been for the last few years, and who I’ve become.”
On the project’s fifth title, “I Love You Bitch,” the Detroit native wanted to make a love song – one that was actually sparked by a tweet from her “Rumors” collaborator, Cardi B, who said that she wanted to hear a romantic tune from Lizzo next.
“I was like, ‘Okay, if Lizzo did a love song, what would it be? I love you, bitch?’ It was one of those rare times where I had the title before the song,” she explained.
After getting in the studio with Omer Fedi and Blake Slatkin, she began freestyling to some guitar, when she remembered her Houston roots – more specifically, the song “I Hate U Bitch” by local artist Z-Ro.
“Suddenly I was like, hold up, what if I sang the ‘I Hate U Bitch’ melody but said ‘I Love You Bitch’ instead? It just came out, and it might be the greatest thing we’ve ever done,” Lizzo gushed, adding that she wanted it to be a “universal love song” when the lyrics were done.
“One you could sing to the person you’re fucking and your best friend, to your family or to someone you just met at a bar,” she concluded.
Stream “I Love You Bitch” on Spotify, Apple Music, or Soundcloud below.
Quotable Lyrics:
I’m under pressure and it’s all on me
Don’t wanna stress ya, but you’re all I need
I wanna text ya these fire nudies
The sass on your screen, I feel so complete