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Lula Villa and Yessenia Ojeda ushered their 8-year-old daughter Armani into the American Airlines Center on Friday for Lizzo's "Special" tour. In shock, Armani marveled at her surroundings.
Just 30 seconds before, Villa and Ojeda had let her in on a surprise: she was about to attend her first concert. It's a special treat for the whole family, who loves Lizzo.
Villa couldn鈥檛 help but tear up and take a pause before explaining the importance of Lizzo鈥檚 song 鈥楽pecial鈥� 鈥� which she says is her and her partner鈥檚 anthem to their young daughter.
鈥淲e're a queer family and we're an unconventional family. I think it's really powerful to have a message of like, 鈥榟ey, no matter what you're being told around, no matter all the things that you go through and how broken you might feel like you're worth it.鈥� You matter, you're enough. You should keep existing. And I don't think we hear that enough.鈥�
Like so many Lizzo fans or 鈥淟izzbians鈥� in North Texas, Villa and their family say they appreciate the singer for her proud self-acceptance, outspoken advocacy and her steadfast reminders that they too are special.
鈥淲e love that she's fat, black and proud,鈥� Villa said. 鈥淲e love that she's unapologetic about who she is. We love that she's in Dallas. I think Dallas could use more of that type of energy in general.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
Defiant self-love
Lizzo is known for boldly sharing her viewpoints on everything from LGBTQ rights to voting registration and reproductive health. At the Dallas concert, the words 鈥淢y Body, My Choice鈥� were illuminated on the singer鈥檚 body after her performance of 鈥淣aked.鈥� But on Friday night, Lizzo said she wanted to take a brief step away from all the politics and focus on the core of her message: self-love and respect.
Thousands of voices murmured in the dark after the singer asked the audience to close their eyes and repeat a mantra: 鈥淚 love you. You are beautiful. You can do anything.鈥�
In many ways, Lizzo鈥檚 message of self-acceptance is an act of defiance. The singer is no stranger to hate, including fatphobic comments about her weight, pushback against her outspokenness and recent attacks for her visit to the Library of Congress where she played former president James Madison鈥檚 200-year-old crystal flute.
鈥淚 do wonder sometimes if she was white, if people would be saying as many things as they were,鈥� said 51-year-old Darla Robinson.
Robinson was upset by the wave of criticism that Lizzo received after she played the crystal flute.
鈥�They look at the fact that she twerks and shows her curves and think that she doesn't have a brain and talent and a message out there and let her be her,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou know, we let men be themselves no matter their size. So let's let women do it, too.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
The night was one of dualities that reflected the artist herself. One moment, Lizzo jumped into song and twerked; the next, she spoke candidly to the audience about the recent surge in her anxiety. Thanking the crowd for making her feel safe, Lizzo鈥檚 vulnerability cut to the core message of her ongoing advocacy for mental health awareness. But she also didn't forget to embrace her girl boss status with the launch of her new inclusive shapewear company YITTY.
Lizzo鈥檚 ability to rise above the hate is not lost on Frisco resident Anushka Polius who came to the concert looking forward to the singer鈥檚 energy and varied outfits 鈥� several of which glittered in the stage lights.
鈥淪he's just trying to live and be positive and people just keep trying to like bring her down,鈥� Polius said. 鈥淚 think it's a positive impact on the culture that people are going to bash me, but I'm just going to let it like roll off.鈥�
Concertgoers Ray and Brad Goettl-Ng wore matching t-shirts printed with lyrics from Lizzo鈥檚 "About Damn Time," 鈥淚t鈥檚 bad bitch o鈥檆lock. Yeah, it鈥檚 thick thirty.鈥� They recently moved to Dallas from San Antonio.
Brad remembered Lizzo鈥檚 2019 performance at the Austin City Limits festival as 鈥渁 really powerful moment.鈥� He said more than 70,000 people lifted their phones into the air, waving them in unison as Lizzo sang.
Brad said in a time of divisiveness, Lizzo鈥檚 perspective so often cuts through the noise. His husband Ray agreed.
鈥�I wish more celebrities would join her and form this coalition about what are you truly here for. What are you representing? What kind of world do you want to paint onward? The future that you want to paint for our children moving forward.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
Perhaps Lizzo鈥檚 answer was made clear during the concert with the first words she spoke to the audience: 鈥淟ove for oneself is the way to make the world a better place.鈥�
Arts Access is a partnership between The Dallas Morning News and 四虎影院 that expands local arts, music and culture coverage through the lens of access and equity.
This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and 四虎影院 retain full editorial control of Arts Access鈥� journalism.
