Lizzo’s song about self-love, “Coconut Oil,” sets an example of how each one of us can do better in supporting ourselves. The song, which features a gospel-influenced background, draws parallelisms between nourishing one’s skin with Coconut Oil and taking care of one’s spiritual and emotional health. The latter of which, I believe often goes unrecognized in our society. “Coconut Oil,” is an ode to go deeper in acceptance of one’s body and emotions. The song goes forward to express that even if you’re not the “coolest” or even if you don’t believe that you are “enough” you still deserve to love yourself and take pride in habitual self-care. Another credit I give to this song is that it attempts to reach out to marginalized minority audiences to spread the message of acceptance. This is important as these minority groups, especially African-American and female minority groups, often have dangerous stigmas against seeking help and self-care. The evidence for many of the claims I have stated above comes from many of Lizzo’s song lyrics and quotes she has given through her numerous interviews. The first quote I would like to present comes from the song itself. “If I knew then what I know now, I’d give myself a souvenir for old times’ sake. ’Cause I got all that I need here and I’m good yeah, yeah.” Lizzo addresses that she did not always believe that she was deserving of self-love, but eventually learned to love herself. She encourages her audience to follow suit in going on a journey to accept and love themselves. In an op-ed Lizzo wrote in NBC, she stated, “I understand how difficult it is to “just love yourself” in a society in which the media quite literally tells us that we don’t have enough money to love ourselves. It tells you that you should get money to buy this so you can look like that and be perfect. And so a lot of people ask me how I do it, and I tell them that I don’t take self-acceptance for granted or lightly, because I know it’s difficult…. Self-care is really rooted in self-preservation, just like self-love is rooted in honesty. We have to start being more honest with what we need, and what we deserve, and start serving that to ourselves.” I really believe that Lizzo has nailed the central narrative of self-love on the head. She expresses how she believes loving yourself doesn’t necessarily always come from an innate sense of materialism but a feeling of honesty within oneself. Lizzo also addresses therapy and the stigmas of therapy within the black community(ies). “And I also know that there’s a stigma around therapy in the black community, and there had been for a long time, especially for black women. We’re so strong, because of all that we have been put through, and how little we’re sought after and looked out for … But I finally realized that owning up to your vulnerabilities is a form of strength, and making the choice to go to therapy is a form of strength.” Lizzo’s commentary and lyricism go far to support minorities’ right to self-care and professional therapy as an outlet of loving oneself. Lizzo has revealed her journey towards self-care and the acceptance she feels for herself today. This is a central theme portrayed in a wide portion of her music, and especially in “coconut oil.” Lizzo’s iconography and exposition provided gives us a look into her support of the ability of self-care and give us an example to meet in accepting and loving ourselves.
Works Cited
Jefferson, Melissa Viviane. “Self-Care Has to Be Rooted in Self-Preservation, Not Just Mimosas
and Spa Days.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 20 Aug. 2019,
www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/self-care-has-be-rooted-self-preservation-not-just-mimo
Sas-ncna993661.
Gross, Terry. “Lizzo On Feminism, Self-Love And Bringing ‘Hallelujah Moments’ To Stage.” NPR,
NPR, 23 May 2019,
www.npr.org/2019/05/23/725704911/lizzo-on-feminism-self-love-and-bringing-hallelujah-
moments-to-stage.
