Source: Miikka Skaffari / Getty
Tina Turner’s passing last week at the age of 83 left a void in the music world. It also led many to pay homage to the “What’s Love Got to Do With It” singer whose talent and personal story made her a platinum-selling icon.
Singer Lizzo took time out from her Special tour to pay homage to Turner in Phoenix, saying, “As a Black girl in a rock band, I would not exist if it was not for the queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” she told the audience at a stop on her “And remember this: There wouldn’t be no Rock ‘n’ Roll without Tina Turner.”
Lizzo then launched into a note-by-note version of “Proud Mary,” the song that Ike and Tina Turner made famous in the ’60s, ripping off a sequined skirt that left her in a sequined unitard.
While most praised the 35-year-old singer’s tribute saying she did a fantastic job, others hopped in her comments after she posted the moment on her Instagram page and on Twitter to troll her.
“She’s not Tina, that’s for sure,” a user posted on Lizzo’s IG account.
Another said, “noooo you CANNOT compare Lizzo to THE TINA TURNER come on now , educate yourself before saying something like that ! Lizzo don’t even come close to TINA TURNER Talent , Class , Beauty and personality !!!”
A Twitter user said, “I just that Lizzo Tina Turner video. We gotta get back to being fr.”
Those were some of the milder takes. The backlash had Lizzo locking down her social media accounts temporarily. In now-deleted posts on Twitter, she said, “The amount of slander n hate I’m receiving on a daily basis is starting to confuse me.”
She added, “What am I actively doing to get this amount of disrespect in my mentions? I’m just trying to come on this app & enjoy social media like everyone else.”
Lizzo went on to say that despite all the cool sh-t she’s been doing lately, she’s tired of people calling her “fat” and using her for “political discourse.”
After posting the tribute, Lizzo changed her Twitter page to private, saying she was locking it due to the abuse she received.
Lizzo’s fanbase does have her back though. One of her admirers praised the Turner tribute, calling her a “rare talent.”
Another fan said Lizzo’s voice was well-suited to Turner’s music and that she, too, was tired of trolls commenting on her appearance.
“Lizzo did a nice tribute to Tina Turner and I must say the tone and texture of Lizzo’s voice is really perfect for Tina’s songs. And here come the haters being so ugly for absolutely no reason. She can’t exist without assholes ripping her apart. I hate that for her,” said one user.
https://twitter.com/ja_xole/status/1661760977325441024
Lizzo is on tour through the end of July in the U.S. and overseas in support of her Special album, which was released last year.
