''Big Grrrl Small World'' (sometimes stylized as ''Big GRRRL Small World'') is the second
studio album by American singer and rapper
Lizzo
Melissa Viviane Jefferson (born April 27, 1988), known professionally as Lizzo, is an American singer, rapper, and flutist. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she moved to Houston, Texas with her family when she was 10 years old. After college she ...
. It was released on her own record label BGSW on December 11, 2015.
[ The album received "generally favorable reviews" from critics.][
]
Production
As soon as her debut studio album ''Lizzobangers
''Lizzobangers'' is the debut studio album by American singer and rapper Lizzo. It was released on Totally Gross National Product on October 15, 2013. In 2014, it was re-released on Virgin Records.
Production
''Lizzobangers'' is produced by Laz ...
'' was released in 2013, Lizzo started writing new songs.[ She made at least 25 demos that didn't end up on ''Big Grrrl Small World''.] The oldest song on the album is "The Fade".
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.[ Inspired by the experience, she wrote "My Skin",][ which she described as "the thesis statement of the album".][ In a 2015 interview with '']Vice
A vice is a practice, behaviour, or Habit (psychology), habit generally considered immorality, immoral, sinful, crime, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refe ...
'', 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."
The recording of the album took place at Justin Vernon
Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon (born April 30, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the primary songwriter and frontman of indie folk band Bon Iver. Known for his distinct falsetto voi ...
's April Base Studios in Fall Creek, Wisconsin
Fall Creek is a village in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,315 at the 2010 census. The village is bordered by the Town of Lincoln.
History
Fall Creek was founded in 1870. The village was named after the rapids ...
.
Release
The album was released on BGSW on December 11, 2015.[ In 2019, the album was removed from all streaming services and digital retailers, to aid in Lizzo's campaign for ]Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards
The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 26, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from October 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019. Al ...
.
Music videos
Music videos were created for "My Skin" and "Humanize". ''Paste
Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to:
Science and technology
* Adhesive or paste
** Wallpaper paste
** Wheatpaste, A liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water
* Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves a ...
'' placed the video for "My Skin" at number 8 on the "25 Best Music Videos of 2015" list.
Critical reception
At Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, 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."[
Alexis Petridis of '']The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide ...
'' gave the album 4 stars out of 5, 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."[ Hilary Saunders of '']Paste
Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to:
Science and technology
* Adhesive or paste
** Wallpaper paste
** Wheatpaste, A liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water
* Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves a ...
'' gave the album an 8.2 out of 10, praising Lizzo's "ability to rap and sing with equal tenacity."[ 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."
'' Star Tribune'' placed the album at number 3 on the "Twin Cities Critics Tally 2015" list.] '' Spin'' placed it at number 17 on the "50 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015" list.
Track listing
All tracks written by Melissa "Lizzo" Jefferson.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the 2015 CD edition's liner notes.
* Lizzo
Melissa Viviane Jefferson (born April 27, 1988), known professionally as Lizzo, is an American singer, rapper, and flutist. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she moved to Houston, Texas with her family when she was 10 years old. After college she ...
– vocals, flute
* BJ Burton
BJ Burton is an American record producer, songwriter, engineer, and mixer. He is known for his work with Bon Iver, Francis and the Lights, Low, Charli XCX, and The Japanese House, and has also worked with the likes of Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, ...
– production (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9), executive production, vocals, vocoder, guitar, synthesizer, drum programming
* Sam Spiegel
Samuel P. Spiegel (November 11, 1901December 31, 1985) was an American independent film producer born in the Galician area of Austria-Hungary. Financially responsible for some of the most critically acclaimed motion pictures of the 20th centur ...
– production (1)
* Jake Troth – production (1)
* Lazerbeak
Aaron Mader (born July 21, 1982), better known by his stage name Lazerbeak, is an American record producer, singer, and guitarist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has been a member of Doomtree, The Plastic Constellations, Mixed Blood Majority, ...
– production (3), drum programming
* Stefon "Bionik" Taylor – production (6, 10, 11, 12), turntables, guitar, synthesizer, drum programming
* Taskforce – production (7), drum programming
* Sophia Eris – vocals
* Claire Monesterio – vocals
* Quinn Wilson – vocals
* Eric Mayson – vocals, piano, synthesizer
* Justin Vernon
Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon (born April 30, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the primary songwriter and frontman of indie folk band Bon Iver. Known for his distinct falsetto voi ...
– vocoder, synthesizer
* Francis Starlite – synthesizer, drum programming
* Ryan Olson – synthesizer
* Nelson Devereaux – saxophone
* Ben Lester – pedal steel guitar
* James Buckley – upright bass, bass guitar
* Joey Van Phillips – drums
* Huntley Miller – mastering
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
2015 albums
Lizzo albums
Albums produced by BJ Burton
Albums produced by Lazerbeak
Albums produced by Sam Spiegel (musician)
Hip hop albums by American artists