When I arrived at Loufest’s BMI/Tunespeak stage around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, I had no idea what the next two hours of my life would have in store for me. Lizzo is one of my favorite artists at the moment, and I had been eagerly awaiting her Loufest performance since the lineup was released last spring. Arriving an hour early allowed me to snag a front row spot for the show, and I couldn’t have been more excited. Lizzo took the stage promptly at 6:30 p.m., opening with “Fitness,” an unreleased track from her upcoming album. Wearing a black leotard with a colorful feather boa, Lizzo’s set brought themes of girl power, self-love and social justice to the festival, speaking out on topics ranging from body positivity to police brutality in between songs. Lizzo is best known for her uplifting pop and hip hop music, often featuring themes of confidence and self-love, which was seen over the weekend in her performances of songs such as, “Scuse Me” and “En Love.” Accompanied by two backup dancers she calls “The Big Girls,” Lizzo made sure the audience was aware of her own self-confidence as well as the importance of representation of all body types in the entertainment industry. “Visibility is important. Representation matters. Don’t let anybody hold you back from your truth,” she said, after she and The Big Girls took a pause from the music to twerk. She reminded the members of the crowd of our right to respect, chanting “You are not a game! You are a human being!” She then insisted we chant back with “I am not a game!” before closing with her empowering hit, “Good As Hell.”The performance was, without a doubt, one of the most memorable of the weekend. Lizzo was a perfect fit for the festival, and I hope to see her return to St. Louis in the near future.

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