Lizzo is that bitch. We already knew this from her phenomenal third album, Cuz I Love You, but now we have historical proof as the singer’s 2011 covers of Jay-Z and Adele have been unearthed from YouTube, as Uproxx notes.
In two videos filmed almost two years apart, a 20-something Lizzo records herself at home covering two classic songs. In the first, the 21-year-old rocks a straight bob and grey hoodie, telling the webcam she’s snowed in, before bringing out her flute and absolutely killing the woodwind version of Jay-Z’s “Empire State Of Mind”.
The second video sees a glamorous 23-year-old Lizzo soulfully performing Adele’s “Someone Like You” in her living room. The description reads: “Hey! Bored & playing around with music again. Found the chords and decided to have some fun. Thanks for watching! :)” Cute! Although there’s no flute this time, the musician flawlessly plays piano while singing Adele’s famously difficult-to-cover track.
The videos have been discovered on a YouTube account called ‘lizzomusic’ which only has three other videos on. The first is filmed on New Year’s Eve in 2009 and sees the long-haired singer perform an acapella version of a song called “Ghosts” by Jeanne Guillory. The next, taken in 2011, features Lizzo backstage at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre where Björk performed in 2007; in the 25-second video, the musician films the venue and proudly says to the camera: “One day I’m going to have a picture on this wall and I’m not playing with you.” The most recent video, from 2012, is an in-studio performance by Lizzo and her band The Larva Ink.
The unearthed videos prove that Lizzo has been a legend for years, and with her debut film role on the way (in upcoming stripper revenge movie Hustlers) there’s plenty more incredible footage of the singer to come. We stan.
Watch the Jay-Z and Adele covers below.
