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.
Pants vs. Dress
Lizzo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
South west alief Texas not born but raised
I was kicking it in the west
But mostly down in the trae
Or maybe montrose for a picnic
Galleria boy I was getting it
Playing shows spreading my name
At South by south west
I was put to the Johnny test
They wanted a freestyle battle
Ok, pants vs dress
One little line
And them boys was impressed
Ditched the southwest to Minneapolis
I pull up to the minne and get buck wild
Moving it shaking it by the pound
West bank, wild n out
Trying to see what that’s all about
First ave was recently
My n****s sold it out for a week
I step on the stage
The scene was serene
They ask my name
Said it was queen
I don’t what that means
But I know that it's good
Nefertiti flow gives you Anuksun wood
Estrogen's in this testosterone heir
So I’m going to sit in my throne
And you can get in your chair
[Repeat]
I’m from that south west alief texas
Boy we reckless
Diamonds in our teeth
Shining brighter than your necklace
Aw snap, I got it like that
Writing raps to the boom bap
Setting off a click track
Lyrical, spherical, psych
Just mobbin
And if you got that guap
You better watch it cause we rob you
Ben Taub you, life support
Straight As in life check my progress report
Address my court with piercing eyes
Your knees are shaking can’t hold your thighs
I’m barely phased, hardly surprised
I’ve been the queen, you’re just another guy
Marty mcfly, boy you better think
I’m throwing everything at you like the kitchen sink
Yep, so you can sit in your chair x3
I going to sit in my throne and you can sit in your chair x3
I’m throning [till end]
The song “Pants vs. Dress” by Lizzo is a representation of her journey as a musician. The lyrics describe her upbringing and early career in Southwest Alief, Texas before moving to Minneapolis, where she was able to create a name for herself in the music scene. The chorus of the song, “So I'm going to sit in my throne and you can get in your chair,” reaffirms her self-confidence and the belief that she has earned her success.
The first verse of the song shows how Lizzo was already gaining a following in Texas before moving to Minnesota. She mentions playing shows and spreading her name, but also acknowledges the challenges of dealing with the sweltering heat during the summer. At South by Southwest, she was challenged to a freestyle battle and gave the memorable line “Pants vs. dress,” which impressed her audience.
In the second verse, she talks about her experience in Minneapolis, where she was able to establish herself as a talented musician. She mentions performing at First Ave, one of the city’s most renowned music venues, which was sold out for a week. She recalls stepping onto the stage and feeling a sense of peace despite the excitement of the crowd.
Overall, the song is a celebration of Lizzo's journey as a musician and her determination to continue setting herself apart from others in the industry.
Line by Line Meaning
South west alief Texas not born but raised
I grew up in Texas, but wasn't born there
I was kicking it in the west
I was living in the Western part of the United States
But mostly down in the trae
I spent a lot of time in my neighborhood called "The Trae"
Or maybe montrose for a picnic
I might have gone to Montrose, another neighborhood, for a picnic
Galleria boy I was getting it
I was doing well financially and shopping at the Galleria mall
Playing shows spreading my name
I was performing shows to promote my music career
But it was so hot the summer's insane
The summer season was so unbearably hot in Texas
At South by south west
I attended the music festival called South by Southwest
I was put to the Johnny test
I was challenged to a freestyle rap battle by Johnny
They wanted a freestyle battle
I was asked to do a rap battle against somebody
Ok, pants vs dress
I agreed to the freestyle rap battle
One little line
A single line in my rap impressed everyone
And them boys was impressed
The guys watching the rap battle were impressed
Ditched the southwest to Minneapolis
I moved from Texas to Minneapolis to pursue my music career
I pull up to the minne and get buck wild
I arrived in Minneapolis and became very excited
Moving it shaking it by the pound
I danced energetically and with enthusiasm
West bank, wild n out
I visited a neighborhood in Minneapolis called West Bank and had a great time
Trying to see what that’s all about
I wanted to experience everything West Bank had to offer
First ave was recently
I played my first concert at the music venue called First Avenue
My n****s sold it out for a week
My friends and fans bought all the tickets for my First Avenue concert for a week
I step on the stage
I walked onto the stage to start performing
The scene was serene
The audience was calm and quiet
They ask my name
The audience asked me what my name was
Said it was queen
I referred to myself as the queen
I don’t what that means
I'm not entirely sure what it means
But I know that it's good
I know that being the queen is a good thing
Nefertiti flow gives you Anuksun wood
My flow is reminiscent of Nefertiti and will impress listeners
Estrogen's in this testosterone heir
I'm a woman with a lot of power and influence in a male-dominated industry
So I’m going to sit in my throne
I'm going to take my rightful place at the top
And you can get in your chair
You can occupy a lesser position than me
Diamonds in our teeth
We have diamonds set in our teeth
Shining brighter than your necklace
Our diamond teeth are more flashy and impressive than your necklace
Aw snap, I got it like that
I'm very successful and have a lot of power and influence
Writing raps to the boom bap
I create rap music using old-school beats
Setting off a click track
I'm creating the foundational click track for the song
Lyrical, spherical, psych
My lyrics are creative and unconventional, and have a psychological impact
Just mobbin
I'm rolling with a large group of people
And if you got that guap
If you have a lot of money
You better watch it cause we rob you
I'm warning you that I might take your money
Ben Taub you, life support
I could kill you like somebody did at the Ben Taub hospital
Straight As in life check my progress report
I've been very successful in my life, as evidenced by my report card with straight A's
Address my court with piercing eyes
I'm looking at you with intense, intimidating eyes
Your knees are shaking can’t hold your thighs
You're very afraid and can't keep your legs from shaking
I’m barely phased, hardly surprised
I'm not bothered or amused by your fear
I’ve been the queen, you’re just another guy
I'm a powerful woman and you're just a man
Marty mcfly, boy you better think
You need to be smart like Marty McFly from Back to the Future
I’m throwing everything at you like the kitchen sink
I'm using all my resources and strategies against you
Yep, so you can sit in your chair x3
Yes, you can occupy a less powerful position
I going to sit in my throne and you can sit in your chair x3
I'm going to take my rightful place at the top, and you can occupy a lesser position
I’m throning [till end]
I'm sitting on my throne, fully in control
Contributed by Kayla R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Doja Cat
on Pink
Whoa that’s a lot of work to do and my restless