美丽出众 (2022)

Special is the fourth studio album by American singer and rapper Lizzo, released by Nice Life Recording Company 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 12 other countries.

Special, has been described by critics as a pop, funk, disco, hip hop, and R&B album. It received positive reviews from music critics. The album peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, becoming, at the time, the highest-charting album by a female artist in 2022, as well as the largest week by units earned, among all albums released by women in 2022. It reached the top ten on the UK, Australian, Canadian, Hungary, and New Zealand album charts.

At the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, the album received nominations for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, while "About Damn Time" won Record of the Year, with additional nominations for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.

Background

Lizzo released her third studio album and major-label debut studio album, Cuz I Love You, on April 19, 2019. The album was met with positive reviews and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, contributing to Lizzo receiving the most nominations at the ceremony. The album also won the award for Best Urban Contemporary Album.

In October 2020, Lizzo announced that her fourth studio album was nearing completion, saying she had "a few more songs to write". In January 2021, American singer SZA confirmed to have heard new material from Lizzo. In August 2021, Lizzo announced "Rumors", her first song after two years, which was released on August 13. The standalone single features fellow American rapper Cardi B.

During her keynote speech at the South by Southwest festival in March 2022, Lizzo announced that her album was finished, saying "It's done so it's coming very very soon…and it's good. I worked real hard on it, so it better be good."

Production and recording

Recording for "Special" began in 2018, but the tracks that made up the album only started to be recorded in September 2021 and was finished by March 2022.

In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1 in April 2022, Lizzo explained that the album was originally titled In Case Nobody Told You until Max Martin helped her "restructure" the hook of the song "Special", which she then changed the title of the album to.

In another interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 in July 2022, Lizzo talked about the origins of the track "Coldplay", with Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin briefly appearing in the interview as well. The track features a monologue by Lizzo where she talks about a recent vacation in which she "was with somebody, and I was just looking at the stars. And I was with him, and I was singing ["Yellow"]."

Promotion

On March 21, 2022, Lizzo previewed the single "About Damn Time" on The Late Late Show with James Corden, with a release date of April 14. Shortly after the release of the song and its accompanying music video, Lizzo formally announced Special, with a release date of July 15.

On July 6, Lizzo revealed the track list of Special on her Instagram account by showing the back cover of its vinyl packaging.

Singles

"About Damn Time" was released on April 14, 2022, as the lead single of the album. The song was a commercial success, peaking at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the US as well as reaching the top three in seven other countries.

On July 18, 2022, "2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)" was released to Italian radio as the album's second single. In the United States, the song impacted hot adult contemporary radio on August 1, 2022, and contemporary hit radio, as well as rhythmic contemporary radio on August 2, 2022.

The title track was released on January 13, 2023, as the album's third single. While "Special" was rumored to have a remix featuring American singer SZA dating back to November 2022, it was finally confirmed by Lizzo on her social media accounts when she announced the official remix. The remix featuring SZA was released on February 9, 2023.

Promotional singles

"Grrrls" was released on June 10, 2022, as the album's first promotional single. The song samples from the song "Girls" by the Beastie Boys.

The song earned controversy for its use of the word "spaz" in its lyrics "I'm a spaz / I'm about to knock somebody out". As Australian disability advocate Hannah Diviney pointed out, the word is an ableist slur, and other fans agreed. Some internet users claimed that "spaz" is used differently in African-American Vernacular English and is synonymous with "freaking out," but disability organizations in the UK and the US have criticized its use. Shortly afterward, Lizzo issued an apology and released an updated version of the song, stating, "I never want to promote derogatory language." The updated song lyrics replace "I'm a spaz" with "Hold me back".