What Artists Can Take Away From The Success Of Lizzo [VIDEO]

No other artist is having quite as good a year as Lizzo, who is cleaning up by virtually every metric of musical success, from a host of song placements to a sold out tour. While it may seem sudden, this success is the result of years of meticulous planning. Here James Shotwell shares four key lessons other artists can learn from the pop sensation.

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Guest post by James Shotwell of Haulix

Lizzo is perhaps the most successful artist of 2019. Achieving that feat did not happen overnight, but her approach can work for anyone’s career.

No one is having a year like the one Lizzo is experiencing right now. From a successful album to sold-out tour dates, festival appearances, song placements, and more, no one has done a better job of being a constant figure in pop culture this year. Lizzo has the kind of career every musician hopes for, and today we’re exploring how she made it happen (before a label was involved).

Lizzo is not an overnight sensation or some flash in the pan talent. The success Lizzo is experiencing in 2019 is the result of a decade spent working hard in the shadows of mainstream music. Her biggest hits, “Truth Hurts” and “Good As Hell,” have been available online for years. Critics have been predicting her stardom since 2016, but convincing the masses took time and commitment to a message that has become the talk of every conversation in pop music.

You cannot duplicate Lizzo’s success by copying her style or sound. People will no doubt attempt this, but in doing so they are revealing a fundamental misunderstanding of her career. Lizzo is a leader. She is giving people something they cannot get anywhere else, and she is doing so in a way that is undeniably authentic.

In this episode of Music Biz, host James Shotwell breaks down four key lessons artists should learn from watching Lizzo succeed. These points can improve your career by setting you on a path for success that will develop in time. Check it out:

James Shotwell is the Director of Customer Engagement at Haulix and host of the company's podcast, Inside Music. He is also a public speaker known for promoting careers in the entertainment industry, as well as an entertainment journalist with over a decade of experience. His bylines include Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Substream Magazine, Nu Sound, and Under The Gun Review, among other popular outlets.