Born in Detroit in the late 80’s, Lizzo spent much of her formative years in the church, where she was raised on the gospel sounds of The Winans, The Clark Sisters, and Fred Hammond, along with mainstay secular artists such as Stevie Wonder and Elton John. At the age of 10 her family moved to Houston, TX, and Lizzo was exposed to a wide array of emerging Southern musical styles, from the trademark chopped and screwed rap tracks of the underground, to the progressive and polished R&B sounds of groups like Destiny’s Child that were raising the city’s national profile to new heights. In fact, it was after she stumbled across a Destiny’s Child performance at Wal-Mart that Lizzo—then a 5th grader-- was inspired to start writing music on her own. Over the next decade that decision would take her through the trenches of some of the most varied musical genres: R&B girl groups (I.N.I.T.I.A.L.S., Cornrow Clique), progressive rock bands (Elypseas), solo rap ventures, and electro-pop duos (Lizzo & The Larva Ink).
In 2011 she made the move to Minneapolis with Larva Ink in order to be a part of that city’s blossoming and collaborative musical community. Lizzo & The Larva Ink was well received there, and the group earned a few encouraging nods from the press. Lizzo was soon introduced to Sophia Eris and Claire de Lune, with whom she would form The Chalice, the three-piece all-female rap/R&B group that would elevate Lizzo’s profile and reputation. In 2012 The Chalice released We Are The Chalice, an album that would gain them instant local success amongst fans and critics alike, garnering City Pages’ prestigious Best New Band and Picked To Click accolades in the same year.
The success brought setbacks, though, and a falling out soon led to the demise of Lizzo & The Larva Ink. Feeling discontent with the loss of one group and the hurried blur of success of another, Lizzo was creatively drained from writing We Are The Chalice in two short months. She found herself in the throes of her first full-blown case of writer’s block. Unable to create music for herself, she began listening to several different local albums in hopes of finding inspiration. It was LAVA BANGERS, a 20-track instrumental mixtape from Doomtree producer and Minneapolis music vet Lazerbeak, that ultimately caught her ear. Beaks’ beats proved the fix for Lizzo’s problem. “I sat at home and listened to LAVA BANGERS, and when “Lift Every Voice” came on, my writer’s block was cured,” says Lizzo. “I think it revived my gospel roots. I wrote pages and pages of songs, and finally reached out to Lazerbeak, not thinking anything would come of it.”
Her timing could not have been better. Beak, impressed with Lizzo’s output with The Chalice, as well as her guest appearances on several other local releases, was looking for a change of pace from his daily Doomtree production and business responsibilities. He immediately signed on to work on some demos. Beat tapes were exchanged, songs were written, and mutual friend and musical collaborator Ryan Olson (Totally Gross National Product founder, Gayngs/Marijuana Deathsquads mastermind) was brought on board to creatively oversee the project. Olson recorded and edited all 15 tracks in his bedroom studio, bringing in laid back hype-man Cliff Rhymes along the way to add even more layers to Lizzo’s dynamic vocals.
LIZZOBANGERS is the culmination of that four-way collaboration, an album that manages to capture all of the varied musical influences of Lizzo’s upbringing and combine them with the forward-thinking experimental production style of Beak and Olson. The end result is a brave new project that encapsulates the best parts of both the familiar and the future.
Jang A Lang
Lizzo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Melanie, Melanie, you made a facsimile, uh
Big booty Judy with too much to do this, uh
Back stabbing second cousins to Brutus
Self-righteous, like she crucified Judas
Go Melanie, go Melanie for every day is
"dress-like-she-fittin'-to-see-a-crush day"
Don't it get a liitle bit mundane?
It's too fake, too fake, ok
Fac- fa- fac- fac- facsimile
Make a copy of the real thing
Leave the guy, come back for ten days
Jingo jango jang a lang a lang
Jingo jango jang a lang a lang
Jingo jango jang a lang a lang
Leave the guy, come back for ten days
Fac- fa- fac- fac- facsimile
Building quite a, quite a little brick-gays
NDB tis-bee thirs tay
Salty bath water, quench ay, daddy
Dripping like water, dripping, the faucet
Drya de love-za
Jumping Jehosephat, these hovas don't
Come with it, uh
Dig deeper than Bradley P-I T T's
I'm pimpin', I'm pimpin' now
Stop people who grippin'
Don't ask too much questions
I'm all in my feelings
Fac- fa- fac- fac- facsimile
Make a copy of the real thing
Leave the guy, come back for ten days
Jingo jango jang a lang a lang
Jingo jango jang a lang a lang
Jingo jango jang a lang a lang
Leave the guy, come back for ten days
Fac- fa- fac- fac- facsimile
"So quirky"
"I wish there more guys that would just
Like holler at me and touch all
Over my ass and my titties"
"Oh my God, I just love your afro"
"If a guy doesn't wanna fuck me, what am I?"
Ok, I'm seein' my reflection and
I'm breakin' it off
Melanie on Baywatch, the Hassel and Hoff
Enough pomp and circumstance to tassel us off
Worth more than the 10 days at Fogo de Chao
That shit be the noycest
Sometimes the noycest thinks Toightest
Like your personal chanel dog
Now you know you eatin' at Taco Bell, y'all
The spell's all been broke, say "Bye" to "Aw
Hell naw" "I mean, can I touch it?"
"Aw, hell naw"
Fac- fa- fac- fac- facsimile
Make a copy of the real thing
Leave the guy, come back for ten days
Jingo jango jang a lang a lang
Jingo jango jang a lang a lang
Jingo jango jang a lang a lang
Leave the guy, come back for ten days
Fac- fa- fac- fac- facsimile
Uh, lemme see it, lemme see it
Been knowin' it, lemme see it, uh
Hit the jango jang a lang a lang
Hit the jingo jango jang a lang a lang
The jingo jango jang a lang a lang
Uh, hit that jango lang
The lyrics to Lizzo's song "Jang A Lang" touch on themes of authenticity, self-image, and societal expectations. The song is structured as a commentary on the pressures for women to conform to standards of beauty and behavior that may not align with their true selves.
The song begins by referencing a character named Melanie who is portrayed as a facsimile, or a copy of something real. Lizzo describes her as a busy woman with a big booty, but also as someone who engages in backstabbing and self-righteous behavior. The line "dressed-like-she-fittin'-to-see-a-crush day" suggests that Melanie presents herself differently when she has a romantic interest, perhaps suggesting a façade or inauthenticity.
Lizzo goes on to criticize the superficiality and fakeness present in society, declaring "It's too fake, too fake." The repeated use of the word "facsimile" throughout the song emphasizes the theme of duplicity and the pressure to conform. The lyrics also touch on the desire for attention and validation, with lines like "I wish there were more guys that would just like holler at me and touch all over my ass and my titties." This expresses a frustration with the objectification of women and the societal expectation placed on them to be desired in a certain way.
Overall, "Jang A Lang" is a commentary on the struggle to maintain authenticity in a world that often values appearances and conformity. It encourages listeners to embrace their true selves and reject societal pressures to fit into a mold.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh, yeah
Expressing agreement and enthusiasm
Melanie, Melanie, you made a facsimile, uh
Melanie, you created a replica of something real
Big booty Judy with too much to do this, uh
Judy with a large buttocks and a busy schedule
Back stabbing second cousins to Brutus
Deceptive family members similar to Brutus from Julius Caesar
Self-righteous, like she crucified Judas
Acting morally superior as if she betrayed someone like Judas
Go Melanie, go Melanie for every day is "dress-like-she-fittin'-to-see-a-crush day"
Encouraging Melanie to dress up every day as if she is going to meet her crush
Don't it get a liitle bit mundane?
Doesn't it become repetitive and boring?
Tell it like I see it, 'cause
Speaking the truth as I perceive it
It's too fake, too fake, ok
It's excessively artificial and insincere
Fac- fa- fac- fac- facsimile
Creating a duplicate or imitation
Make a copy of the real thing
Reproducing something that is genuine
Leave the guy, come back for ten days
Ending a relationship temporarily and returning after a brief period
Jingo jango jang a lang a lang
Nonsense words expressing excitement or enthusiasm
Building quite a, quite a little brick-gays
Gradually constructing a small community for LGBTQ+ individuals
NDB tis-bee thirs tay
No big deal, just being thirsty (sexually interested)
Salty bath water, quench ay, daddy
Satisfying one's thirst with enticing and flirtatious behavior
Dripping like water, dripping, the faucet
Exuding sensuality and attractiveness like a flowing faucet
Drya de love-za
Lacking love and affection
Jumping Jehosephat, these hovas don't come with it, uh
Expressing surprise that these people (potential partners) don't meet expectations
Dig deeper than Bradley P-I T T's
Searching for a romantic connection more profound than Bradley Pitt's (meaning unclear)
I'm pimpin', I'm pimpin' now
Asserting oneself as confident and in control
Stop people who grippin'
Avoiding those who are clingy or possessive
Don't ask too much questions
Discouraging excessive inquiries
I'm all in my feelings
Being deeply emotional and introspective
"So quirky"
Commenting on someone's unusual and eccentric behavior
"I wish there more guys that would just like holler at me and touch all over my ass and my titties"
Expressing a desire for attention and physical affection from men
"Oh my God, I just love your afro"
Admiring someone's afro hairstyle
"If a guy doesn't wanna fuck me, what am I?"
Questioning one's self-worth based on sexual desirability
Ok, I'm seein' my reflection and I'm breakin' it off
Realizing one's own flaws and deciding to end a relationship
Melanie on Baywatch, the Hassel and Hoff
Comparing oneself to characters from the TV show Baywatch
Enough pomp and circumstance to tassel us off
Excessive formalities and rituals that conclude a situation
Worth more than the 10 days at Fogo de Chao
Being more valuable than a ten-day meal at Fogo de Chao (a Brazilian steakhouse)
That shit be the noycest
That thing is the absolute best
Sometimes the noycest thinks Toightest
Occasionally the best things appear the most perfect
Like your personal chanel dog
Similar to having a luxury pet like a Chanel dog
Now you know you eatin' at Taco Bell, y'all
Realizing that your current situation is not as luxurious as you thought
The spell's all been broke, say "Bye" to "Aw Hell naw"
Realizing the deception and saying goodbye to false desires
"I mean, can I touch it?" "Aw, hell naw"
Expressing curiosity about something and then rejecting the idea
Lemme see it, lemme see it
Let me have a look at it
Been knowin' it, lemme see it, uh
Being aware of it for a while, let me see it
Hit the jango jang a lang a lang
Engaging in energetic and exciting activities
Hit the jingo jango jang a lang a lang
Continue engaging in lively and enthusiastic actions
The jingo jango jang a lang a lang
The excitement and passion
Uh, hit that jango lang
Enjoy that vibrant and joyful experience
Lyrics © STEFON TAYLOR PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MELISSA VIVIANE JEFFERSON, STEFON CHINA TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Doja Cat
on Pink
Whoa that’s a lot of work to do and my restless