Lizzo Announces ‘Gap Year’ To Focus On Self-Care And Peace
New Lizzo music won’t be hitting our playlists anytime soon! The singer recently revealed she’s taking a “gap year.” Over the weekend, she treated fans to clips from her Bali adventure, where she hung out with close friend SZA. Flaunting the results of her fitness journey, Lizzo playfully warned, “Unfortunately I’ll be posting way too many bikini pics.”
But that’s not all: Lizzo hinted at a bigger reset in the works. On Sunday (August 25), she shared a video of herself soaking up a rainstorm on a balcony, captioning it with, “I’m taking a gap year & protecting my peace.”
Fans were quick to rally behind her in the comments. One fan wrote, “Do whatever is positive and peaceful,” while another added, “As you should!! And you look fantastic as per usual.”
Just before summer, Lizzo opened up about her mental health, a topic she’s been transparent about amidst the public scrutiny and harassment allegations she’s faced this past year. “I’m the happiest I’ve been in 10 months,” she wrote in a May Instagram update. “The strange thing about depression is you don’t know you’re in it until you’re out of it. I’m definitely not all the way as carefree as I used to be. But the dark cloud that followed me every day is finally clearing up. My smile reaches my eyes again and that’s a win.”
We all need a breather now and then, and it’s not surprising that Lizzo is taking one after the whirlwind year she’s had. Last August, she was sued by three former dancers, who accused her of sexual misconduct and creating a hostile work environment claims Lizzo firmly denies.
“I’m getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet,” she wrote in March. “All I want is to make music and make people happy and help the world be a little better than how I found it. But I’m starting to feel like the world doesn’t want me in it.”
She added, “I didn’t sign up for this s### — I QUIT.” But later, Lizzo clarified that she’s not quitting music. “When I say, ‘I quit,’ I mean I quit giving any negative energy attention,” she explained. “What I’m not going to quit is the joy of my life, which is making music and connecting to people.”
Lizzo’s last album, Special, was released in 2022, with the lead single “About Damn Time” preceding it.