Grammy-winning singer Lizzo said the body positivity movement has become “commercialised” as she questioned who it now benefits.
The plus-size pop star graces the cover of Vogue’s October edition and celebrated becoming the “first big black woman” to do so.
In an interview with the fashion bible, the 32-year-old said the movement calling for the acceptance of bodies of all shapes and sizes had been partially appropriated.
“It’s commercialised,” the Truth Hurts singer said. “Now, you look at the hashtag ‘body positive,’ and you see smaller-framed girls, curvier girls. Lotta white girls. And I feel no ways about that, because inclusivity is what my message is always about.
“I’m glad that this conversation is being included in the mainstream narrative. What I don’t like is how the people that this term was created for are not benefiting from it.
“Girls with back fat, girls with bellies that hang, girls with thighs that aren’t separated, that overlap. Girls with stretch marks. You know, girls who are in the 18-plus club.
“They need to be benefiting from… the mainstream effect of body positivity now. But with everything that goes mainstream, it gets changed. It gets – you know, it gets made acceptable.”
Lizzo, who in January won a Grammy for her album Cuz I Love You, said she wants to “normalise” her body.
She added: “And not just be like, ‘Ooh, look at this cool movement. Being fat is body positive.’ No, being fat is normal. I think now, I owe it to the people who started this to not just stop here. We have to make people uncomfortable again, so that we can continue to change. Change is always uncomfortable, right?”
Writing on social media after her Vogue cover was released, Lizzo said: “The first black anything feels overdue. But our time has come. To all my black girls, if someone like you hasn’t done it yet— BE THE FIRST.”