Lizzo “Truth Hurts” hit #1

Truth Hurts Lizzo

Writer(s): Melissa Jefferson, Eric Frederic, Jesse Saint John, Steven Cheung, Amina Bogle-Barriteau (see lyrics here) Released: September 19, 2017 First Charted: May 18, 2019 Peak: 17 US, 14 RR, 16 BA, 15 DG, 30 AC, 9 A40, 111 RB, 30 UK, 7 CN, 15 AU, 17 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 7.0 US, 0.6 UK, 8.85 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 306.4 video, 924.39 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Rapper, singer, songwriter, and flutist Lizzo was born Melissa Viviane Jefferson in 1988 in Detroit. She released her first album, Lizzobangers, in 2013. Her big break, however, came in 2019 with the release of Cuz I Love You, her third album and major label debut. A re-release of the album included her single “Truth Hurts,” which was originally released in 2017. Eighteen months later it was featured in the Netflix rom-com Someone Great SF and became a viral sleeper hit via TikTok. It was re-released on March 22, 2019, it became a hit, going all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 where it spent seven weeks. It became the longest-running #1 for a female rapper. WK It also sold more than seven million copies. Pitchfork’s Ashley Monaé said the song has “sobering moments of truth where Lizzo’s charisma wins us over and sets her apart.” WK Lizzo was inspired to write the song after a voicemail from a guy she was seeing in which he told her not to call anymore because he was reuniting with his ex. SF In the studio, she unloaded to her producer, Ricky Reed, and when she noticed he was taking notes she asked what he was writing. He replied, “I hope you know you just wrote a song.” SF It became “a kiss-off to an ex whom Lizzo dumped as she wasn’t committed enough to their relationship.” SF Rolling Stone called it an “unstoppable breakup anthem.” WK The video emphasized the message by showing Lizzo leaving a man at the altar. The song generated controversy when songwriting brothers Justin and Jeremiah Raisen insisted that Lizzo took the song’s hook from their song “Healthy,” which they wrote months earlier with Lizzo. However, a federal judge ruled that just because they worked on one song didn’t mean they had claim to another. NYT Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Lizzo NYT New York Times (8/17/2020). “Lizzo Notches a Win in ‘Truth Hurts’ Copyright Case” by Ben Sisario SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia First posted 6/25/2023.