Introduction
The music video Juice by Lizzo, which premiered in 2019, is a manifestation of self-love and body positivity. The title of the song can allude to several things, but the most well-known meaning of ‘having juice’ is having respect and power. The word ‘Juicy’ can also refer to a curvy person (as Lizzo is) who appears to be sexually desirable.
Main text
The lyrics promote a positive notion of self-acceptance. The song starts with the words, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, don’t say it cause I know I am cute” (Lizzo 0:16-0:20). This is an allusion to a well-known fairy tale Snow White, but instead of asking the mirror “Who is the fairest of them all?”, Lizzo states that she already knows the answer. However, her self-appreciation does not entail diminishing somebody else’s beauty: later she sings, “If I’m shinin’, everybody gonna shine” (Lizzo 0:34-0:37). It goes in line with the modern culture of self-love and body positivity that emphasizes that loving themselves should not limit people’s ability to see somebody else’s beauty and talents. On the contrary, it stands for the idea that accepting themselves as they are and knowing their worth can make it easier for people to respect others. For example, a person with severe scars who accepts and loves themselves is likely to be more tolerant of other person’s acne. The modern self-love and body-positivity culture challenge traditional patterns of competition between women, and in her song, Lizzo supports the idea that her self-appreciation extends to other people. Another important line is, “I’m like chardonnay, get better over time” which challenges ageism stereotypes (Lizzo 0:42-0:45). Chardonnay is a classic French wine, that is supposed to taste better as it gets older. In her song Lizzo states that aging will not diminish her qualities – on the contrary, she will only get better. It contradicts with the assumptions that used to dominate both in culture and in everyday life which suggested that women can only be beautiful while they are young. In her retro-style music video, Lizzo performs as a singer, exercises, appears on a late-night show and telemarketing commercials. The most crucial notion is that she is shown exercising and dancing that also undermines the prejudice towards larger-bodied people’s abilities to perform these kinds of physical activities.
Conclusion
In her music video, Lizzo claims her right to do everything her body allows her to do – which is everything she wants. She can shine and feel content with herself in any situation in which she is present. The way she moves her body should not be ‘perfect’ or comply with somebody else’s expectations – she is doing it her way. The most important thing that Lizzo enjoys it, and enjoys herself, manifesting-love and acceptance.
Work Cited
“Lizzo – Juice (Official Video).”YouTube, uploaded by Lizzo Music, 2019. Web.