The Sydney Opera House was not a theatre last night, but a house of worship. Take a big whiff and you could breathe in the positivity and the self-love Lizzo exudes and tonight, a sense of release too. From the grim reality of the bushfires all around Australia at the moment, an unprecedented climate emergency that will be documented in history books to come, Lizzo’s first ever Australian headline show at the famed Sydney Opera House felt like momentary reprieve from it all, a time to celebrate the solidarity Australia has shown each other in the face of tragedy.
And when Lizzo arrives, we are on our feet and totally beside ourselves. Kicking off with Good As Hell - like it’s a premonition of how we’ll be feeling in an hour’s time - the set is extraordinary, exemplary fun. Not since Solange’s 2018 Sydney Opera House shows have we seen people so ready to party from the get-go and every time Lizzo challenges us to scream louder, we do it. We stomp heavier, we dance bigger, we sing louder.
She works through album hits like Cuz I Love You, Jerome, Like A Girl and Soulmate, leaving no doubt that Lizzo has one of the biggest and best soul voices around right now, not once losing her breath despite the constant dancing and vocal acrobatics. But it’s not just about her - this show is as much about us, with Lizzo constantly using our voices to bolster hers with call and response. Tempo showcases the insane dancing of her four “Big Girls” in a raucous twerk-off, while Exactly How I Feel is a lesson in how to own your emotions in 2020. Later she makes us repeat, “I am my own inspiration,” and “I am my one,” as loudly as we can - until we believe it, she says. She teaches us how to receive compliments - no self-deprecation here she says; when she tells us we’re great singers, look amazing, and that she’s proud of us, we respond with “thank you” like children learning their manners. “You deserve self-love,” she preaches. We gleefully respond every time - she’s like a musical cult leader except she’s standing right in front of us popping her booty and teaching us how to love ourselves, with her hair blowing like Venus (her stage has two fans right at the front).
We give her a standing ovation for Boys - and that’s saying something, since we’ve been standing up the whole show anyway - by clapping for a minute straight and then literally bowing towards her. Lizzo just took it all in with a huge smile on her face, finally watching her dream to perform at the Opera House playing out.
But in all our good vibes tonight, we know there’s an elephant in the room, and towards the end Lizzo pulls out a small kangaroo toy and Australian flag to explain her support for our bushfires. There are donation boxes set up at the venue tonight and Lizzo confirms she’s donated and will do anything she can to support the crisis.
The night finally (sadly) ends with Juice, a full Sasha flute appearance, and of course her viral hit Truth Hurts, wedding veil and all. Seeing a historically stuffy opera venue yell the lyrics, “I'm 100% that bitch" is just unforgettable.
It’s hard to explain the positive charge of the room last night without being there, but just six days into 2020, we know the show we just witnessed was as monumental for Lizzo as it was for us.
