| Big Grrrl Small World | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 11, 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2013–2015 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop [1] | |||
| Length | 43:30 | |||
| Label | BGSW | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Lizzo chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Big Grrrl Small World | ||||
Big Grrrl Small World (sometimes stylized as Big GRRRL Small World) [5] [6] is the second studio album by American rapper and singer Lizzo. [7] It was released on her own record label BGSW [8] on December 11, 2015. [9] The album received "generally favorable reviews" from critics. [10]
As soon as her debut studio album Lizzobangers was released in 2013, Lizzo started writing new songs. [11] She made at least 25 demos that didn't end up on Big Grrrl Small World. [11] The oldest song on the album is "The Fade". [12]
In 2014, Lizzo participated in StyleLikeU's What's Underneath project, where she removed her clothes as she talked about her relationships with her body. [13] Inspired by the experience, she wrote "My Skin", [13] which she described as "the thesis statement of the album". [12] In a 2015 interview with Vice , she said: "You can wake up and change many things about your appearance, but the inevitability of waking up in your skin is what unifies us." [13]
The recording of the album took place at Justin Vernon's April Base Studios in Fall Creek, Wisconsin. [14]
The album was released on BGSW on December 11, 2015. [9] In 2019, the album was removed from all streaming services and digital retailers, to aid in Lizzo's campaign for Best New Artist at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. [15]
Music videos were created for "My Skin" [16] and "Humanize". [17] Paste placed the video for "My Skin" at number 8 on the "25 Best Music Videos of 2015" list. [18]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 79/100 [10] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| DIY |   [19] |
| The Guardian | [20] |
| NME | 4/5 [21] |
| The Observer | [22] |
| Paste | 8.2/10 [23] |
| Pitchfork | 7.5/10 [24] |
| Spin | 7/10 [9] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 79, based on 10 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [10]
Alexis Petridis of The Guardian gave the album four stars out of five, saying, "the album's tracks display a marked tendency to end up in an entirely different place from where they started, helped by the fact that Lizzo is as strong a vocalist as she is a rapper." [20]
Hilary Saunders of Paste gave the album an 8.2 out of 10, praising Lizzo's "ability to rap and sing with equal tenacity." [23]
Andrea Swensson of The Current wrote: "There's an old feminist adage that says that the personal is political, and Lizzo seems to understand this concept intrinsically." [25]
Star Tribune placed the album at number 3 on the "Twin Cities Critics Tally 2015" list. [26] Spin placed it at number 17 on the "50 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015" list. [1]
All tracks written by Melissa "Lizzo" Jefferson.
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ain't I" |
| 3:55 |
| 2. | "Betcha" | Burton | 2:59 |
| 3. | "Ride" |
| 3:50 |
| 4. | "Humanize" | Burton | 3:30 |
| 5. | "Bother Me" | Burton | 5:02 |
| 6. | "B.G.S.W." | Stefon "Bionik" Taylor | 3:16 |
| 7. | "The Fade" | Taskforce | 2:59 |
| 8. | "1 Deep" | Burton | 3:26 |
| 9. | "The Realest" | Burton | 3:54 |
| 10. | "En Love" | Taylor | 3:24 |
| 11. | "My Skin" | Taylor | 4:18 |
| 12. | "Jang a Lang" | Taylor | 2:51 |
| Total length: | 43:30 | ||
Credits adapted from the 2015 CD edition's liner notes.
"New Romantics" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who wrote it with the producers Max Martin and Shellback. The title is a reference to the New Romantic cultural movement of the 1970s and 1980s; the new wave musical style of those decades influenced the song's synth-pop production and pulsating synthesizers. The lyrics are about reigniting one's hopes and energy after emotional hardships.
Corin Lisa Tucker is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for her work with rock band Sleater-Kinney. Tucker is also a member of the alternative rock supergroup Filthy Friends, and previously recorded with the indie rock group Heavens to Betsy and The Corin Tucker Band.
Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo is an American R&B singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, California. Aiko embarked on her musical career in 2002, as a backing vocalist and music video performer for the R&B group B2K. She was signed by their record label, The Ultimate Group that same year and was marketed as the "cousin" of B2K member Lil' Fizz to cultivate her own following, although they are not related. Her debut album, slated for a 2003 release through the label with Epic Records, was shelved due to Aiko instead further pursuing her education.
Melissa Viviane Jefferson, known professionally as Lizzo, is an American rapper and singer. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she moved to Houston, Texas, with her family at the age of ten. After college, she moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she began her recording career in hip hop music. Prior to signing with Nice Life Recording Company and Atlantic Records, Lizzo released two studio albums, Lizzobangers (2013) and Big Grrrl Small World (2015). Her first major-label extended play (EP), Coconut Oil, was released in 2016.
The Pinkprint is the third studio album by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on December 12, 2014, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. Minaj co-executive-produced the album alongside Birdman, Lil Wayne and Ronald Williams, with a variety of producers who produced the album's sound. Looking to depart from the dance-pop elements of her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012), The Pinkprint is a follow-up record influenced by her traditional hip hop beginnings.
This Is My Hand is the fourth studio album from the American rock group My Brightest Diamond.
Pom Pom is the tenth studio album by American recording artist Ariel Pink, released on November 17, 2014 through 4AD. It was his first release credited solely to himself, and his last on 4AD. Several of its songs were co-written with the ailing Kim Fowley, who died the following January. Critics generally gave the album positive reviews. Only one single was issued from the album: "Put Your Number in My Phone".
Lizzobangers is the debut studio album by American rapper and singer Lizzo. It was released on Totally Gross National Product on October 15, 2013. In 2014, it was re-released on Virgin Records.
Coconut Oil is the debut solo EP by American rapper and singer Lizzo. It was released on October 7, 2016 by Nice Life Recording Company and Atlantic Records, Lizzo's first major-label release. Lizzo co-wrote each song on the album, while enlisting Ricky Reed, Christian Rich, Dubbel Dutch, and Jesse Shatkin for the album's production. The result was a departure from Lizzo's previous hip-hop releases. Lyrically, the extended play explores themes of body positivity, self-love, and the journey to those ideals. Coconut Oil received positive reviews from music critics.
"I Wonder" is a song by American hip-hop recording artist and record producer Kanye West. It was released as the fourth song on his third studio album Graduation (2007). The track was produced by West and retains influences from stadium rock, alternative music, and a variety of electronic-music subgenres. It contains a sample from "My Song" by British singer-songwriter, musician, and poet Labi Siffre. A major development in the song's creation was West touring the world the year prior with Irish rock band U2 on their Vertigo Tour. Afterwards, he sought out to compose a hip hop-oriented variation of "City of Blinding Lights," the band's 2005 single. The layered arrangement contains experimental orchestrations, with a distorted electronic synthesizer that acts as the lead instrument. The maximalist synths are further supplemented with a sweeping string section as well as winding keyboards. Its experimental musical composition is also notable for West's rapping technique. His lyrical delivery features a fragmented, forceful flow where he raps minimalist verses in an intense staccato vocal style. Lyrically, "I Wonder" is an introspective number, containing a blend of melancholic lines that discuss finding one's dreams.
American rapper and singer Lizzo has released four studio albums, two mixtapes, three extended plays, 23 singles, and three promotional singles. Before signing with Atlantic Records, she released two studio albums—Lizzobangers in 2013 and Big Grrrl Small World in 2015. In 2014, Time magazine named her one of 14 music artists to watch. Her first major-label extended play, Coconut Oil, was released in 2016.
Cuz I Love You is the third studio album and major label debut studio album by American rapper and singer Lizzo. It was released through Nice Life and Atlantic Records on April 19, 2019. The album features guest appearances from fellow American rappers Missy Elliott and Gucci Mane. It spawned the single "Juice" and the promotional single "Tempo", the latter of which is a collaboration with Elliott. The deluxe edition of the album was released on May 3 and includes the Billboard Hot 100 number one single "Truth Hurts". The deluxe edition was nominated for Album of the Year at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, and won Best Urban Contemporary Album.
Girl is the second studio album by American country music singer Maren Morris, released on March 8, 2019 through Columbia Nashville. It was preceded by the single "Girl". The promotional single "Common", featuring Brandi Carlile, was released alongside the album pre-order on February 8. The track was later nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, while the album's second single "The Bones" was nominated for Best Country Song at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Morris embarked on the Girl: The World Tour in support of the album.
"Blame It on Your Love" is a song by English singer Charli XCX featuring American singer and rapper Lizzo. It was released on 15 May 2019 as the second single from Charli XCX's third studio album, Charli, and soon after debuted on BBC Radio 1 as Annie Mac's "Hottest Record in the World". It is Charli XCX's first single since her 2018 collaboration with Troye Sivan, "1999". The single is a reworked version of "Track 10" the final track from Charli XCX's mixtape Pop 2 (2017). The music video was released on 13 June 2019.
Cheap Queen is the debut studio album by American pop singer-songwriter King Princess, released on October 25, 2019, through Mark Ronson's imprint of Columbia Records, Zelig Records. A deluxe edition of the album with five additional tracks was released on February 14, 2020. Straus began a tour in support of the album on September 20, 2019.
Charli is the third studio album by British singer Charli XCX. It was released through Asylum and Atlantic Records UK on 13 September 2019.
"Water Me" is a song by American singer and rapper Lizzo, released as a single on August 18, 2017. It was written by Clarence Coffee Jr., E. Kidd Bogart, Ricky Reed, Farhad Samadzada, Lizzo, Morris Wittenberg, Nneka Lucia Egbuna and Tobias Wincorn. Reed handled the production, with Wincorn as an additional producer. The song was later included on the deluxe edition of Lizzo's 2019 album Cuz I Love You.
"Rumors" is a song by American singer and rapper Lizzo, featuring fellow American rapper Cardi B. The song was released on August 13, 2021, through Nice Life Recording and Atlantic Records, alongside a music video. The single marked Lizzo's first release in over two years, following her 2019 album Cuz I Love You. The song was written by the two artists alongside Nate Mercereau, Steven Cheung, Theron Thomas, Torae Carr, and its producer Ricky Reed.
Special is the fourth studio album by American rapper and singer Lizzo, released by Nice Life and Atlantic Records on July 15, 2022. It was preceded by the lead single "About Damn Time", released on April 14, 2022, which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and the top ten in twelve other countries.
Natural Brown Prom Queen is the second album from Cincinnati-born singer-songwriter and violinist Brittney Parks under her stage name Sudan Archives. The album, released on September 9, 2022, by Stones Throw Records, received widespread acclaim from music critics, with many publications ranking it as one of the best albums of 2022.
