This Is the Real Meaning Behind Lizzo’s Iconic Song “Truth Hurts”
“I just took a DNA test turns out I’m 100% that bi*ch!” It has been the anthem heard around the world. It also put Time Magazine’s Entertainer of the Year, Lizzo on the map. Though the Detroit-born songstress first debuted the song in 2017, it only began to garner recognition in 2019 when her debut album, Cuz I Love You exploded on the charts.
The song has been heard in countless movies and TV shows already, and Lizzo has performed the feminist ballad at tons of awards ceremonies with her signature twerking and flute-playing. She has been nominated for a slew of Grammy Awards including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year.
Obviously, those who adore “Truth Hurts” gravitate towards it for a number of reasons. However, the true meaning behind the iconic song might throw you for a loop.
Lizzo was accused of stealing the lyrics for “Truth Hurts”
In August 2019, Lizzo filed the paperwork to trademark, “100% that bitch,” and all hell broke loose. A 2017 tweet courtesy of @MinaLioness resurfaced which read, “I did a DNA test and found out I’m 100% that bitch.” @MinaLioness went on to accuse Lizzo of trying to take credit for her work. She tweeted,
What I cannot get over is how brazen Lizzo and her team have been in ignoring my whole presence. They’re doing it because they know I have no capital to address her. If she thought I had the autonomy to truly challenge her and assert my rights.. She would have been given me my writers credit. She could of rode this tweet till the wheels fell off. I would have supported through and through as long as I was credited. I’m just the poor Black girl from London that don’t have a dog in the fight
Then in October 2019, producer/songwriter Justin Raisen claimed he helped Lizzo write the lyrics and deserved royalties. It was a bit of a PR nightmare.
Here’s where Lizzo really got the inspiration for “Truth Hurts”
Following Raisen’s accusations, Lizzo hopped on Twitter to tell her truth. “Hey y’all…as I’ve shared before, in 2017, while working on a demo, I saw a meme that resonated with me, a meme that made me feel like 100% that bitch…The men who now claim a piece of ‘Truth Hurts’ did not help me write any part of the song,” she revealed. “They had nothing to do with the line or how I chose to sing it…I later learned that a tweet inspired the meme. The creator of the tweet is the person I am sharing my success with…not these men. Period.”
@MinaLioness also spoke on Twitter to thank Lizzo for giving her credit. She said, “I just took a DNA Test, turns out I’m a credited writer for the number one song on Billboard. I want to publicly thank @Lizzo and her entire management team for embracing me and reaching out.”
This is the true meaning behind Lizzo’s ‘Truth Hurts’ lyrics
Because she loves us, Lizzo has taken to her Twitter account to share the meaning behind some of her most standout lyrics. For example, “Why men great ’til they gotta be great?” is about male privilege. “Men hold the highest seats of power on the planet,” Lizzo tweeted. “They’re constantly appointed greatness and yet cannot seem to do any good with it.”
In the song, Lizzo also croons, “New man on the Minnesota Vikings.” The songstress told YouTuber Zachary Campbell, that she went on a date with an NBA star who played on the Vikings after he slide into her DMs.
It turns out that “Bom bom bi dom bi dum bum bay” are just filler lyrics. “Same with “bom bom bi dom bi dum bum bay” on Truth Hurts…,” Lizzo tweeted. “I swore I was gonna write something better but it was a vibe so we left it.”
And there you have it, an iconic bop.