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The Emergence of Sailor Lizzo
By Ghia Vitale
Photo Credit: Sydney Gawlik
Guess what? Lizzo is a moonie! (Moonies are Sailor Moon fans.) For this reason, I’ve started calling her Sailor Lizzo. Here’s a brief history of Lizzo’s appreciation of Sailor Moon.
Lizzo is a singer, rapper, songwriter, and flutist who’s taking the world by storm with her music and confidence. Not only does she rock the world with her sweet bops like “Juice”, “Truth Hurts,” "Good as Hell," and “Cuz I Love You,” but her flute skills are off the hook. As far as plus size fashion goes, Lizzo a diva with a flair for uniqueness and glamour. Most importantly, by being present and visible in the media, Lizzo provides meaningful representation for black women as well as fat representation. The fact that Lizzo is an open fan of Sailor Moon, an influential anime in the Magical Girl genre, is the cherry on top of the sundae. I’ve given her the nickname “Sailor Lizzo” because it’s fun and cute, just like her! Here’s a brief history of Lizzo and her affinity for Sailor Moon: Early Years Turns out, Lizzo got into Sailor Scout stuff at an early age. According to a Teen Vogue article by Phillip Picardi, Lizzo’s love for Sailor Moon began during childhood. She even decorated her room with Sailor Moon paraphernalia from a local comic shop. In an Insider article, Libby Torres talks about how Lizzo is a “self-professed nerd” who was a big anime fan while growing up. Unfortunately, her peers teased her for liking anime as well as playing the flute. Sailor Saturn Love Lizzo’s Sailor Moon appreciation might even go as far as having a favorite Sailor Scout. On March 21, 2015, Lizzo tweeted that she dreams to go to Comic-Con dressed as Sailor Saturn with Grimes and Clare Grant. This suggests that Sailor Saturn might be her favorite out of the Sailor Senshi.
Dressing as Sailor Moon/Sailor Scouts For Voodoo Fest 2018
Lizzo’s experimental style is part of what makes her an especially iconic celebrity. When she performed at Voodoo Fest 2018, she and her backup dancers all wore Sailor Moon cosplay outfits. During this performance, Lizzo had her hair in moon buns that were similar to the ones Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon wears while rocking a sparkly version of Sailor Moon’s uniform. Meanwhile, her backup dancers each dressed up as Sailor Venus, Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Jupiter. Shortly after her performance at Voodoo Fest 2018 (on October 27,2018), Lizzo posted this iconic tweet:
The text reads “BLACK ASS SAILOR MOON” with a crescent moon emoji. In the video included in this tweet, Lizzo is wearing the same outfit she wore on stage at the festival. With the magical confidence she’s known for, she says in the video, “Bitch, I’m Sailor Moon and in the name of the moon, I will vanquish you!” After that, she twerks for the camera while sticking her tongue out in delight.
Lizzo even posted a tweet with a video of her and her Sailor Scout backup dancers twerking on stage in a reply to the aforementioned tweet:
Nonetheless, these glorious sights don’t compare to watching her flute and shoot while wearing signature senshi fashion. She even stops playing to yell out, "Bitch!" Then proceeds playing like a boss.
Lizzo Once Wanted To Look Like Sailor Moon
Lizzo is known for her body positivity and high octane confidence. However, Lizzo wasn’t always feeling body positive or self-confident. During one of Jameela Jamil’s I Weigh Interviews, Lizzo opened up to Jamil about how not seeing media representations of anyone like herself negatively affected her body image. “I had this fantasy of waking up and looking like Sailor Moon,” Lizzo said. She also confessed that this was the case because she only saw people on TV who were “light-skinned” or had “straight, blonde hair.” She’s not alone: As a fat girl, I also recall wishing I looked like Usagi when I was a child because her body/appearance appeals to conventional beauty standards more than mine does. Sailor Moon Mention During a Grammy Interview The appreciation doesn’t end there. Lizzo’s most recent mention of Sailor Moon was during a Grammy interview with Gayle King. During this interview, King asks Lizzo who she would be if she could swap places with anyone. When she first answers the question, she jokes that she would want to be King. Shortly afterward, Lizzo confesses that she would want to switch with Sailor Moon because in her own words, “She’s so cool! I would just want to transform.” She then mimicked Usagi’s famous transformation into her Sailor Guardian form. What’s Next? All of this leaves people like me wondering, “What is Lizzo’s next moonie move going to be?” Will Lizzo star in her own feature or cartoon as Sailor Moon? Will she incorporate more Sailor Moon styles into her wardrobe, inadvertently encouraging plus size fashion brands to make/carry Sailor Moon-related clothes in the process? When's the next time Lizzo will mention Sailor Moon? I can honestly say this whole thing has me dreaming in big ways. Conclusion Personally, I’ve begun seeing Lizzo as her own kind of Sailor Scout. Music is the superpower she uses to fight for love and justice. She simply uses her flute for transformation and battle instead of a wand. Overall, I think Lizzo is an IRL version of a magical girl who’s fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight. This article detailed only some of her public acknowledgements of being a fan of Sailor Moon. I would love to know more about Lizzo being a fan of Sailor Moon. The fantastic photo at the beginning of this article was taken by Sydney Gawlik and shared on Voodoo Fest’s Facebook page. Check out the aforementioned links to see more cool shots! Support Lizzo and Quail Bell Magazine at the same time by buying Lizzo's most recent album (Cuz I Love You) through the Amazon affiliate link below. Purchasing the album through that link means a portion of the profit goes to us while still benefitting Lizzo. Thanks for reading!
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