Coconut Oil

"You better make some room for me," Lizzo sings on Coconut Oil. It's a lyric that turned out to be downright prophetic: Her 2016 major-label debut showcases the witty, big-hearted, boundary-breaking style that she took mainstream with her smash 2019 album Cuz I Love You. The EP marks the first time Lizzo worked with producer Ricky Reed, who encouraged her to bring more of the gospel music that was a huge part of her life while growing up to her own songs. She bookends Coconut Oil with two of her clearest homages to her roots. On "Worship," she demands a lover sing her praises with a devotion to herself that's unapologetic, joyous, and just humorous enough to make it equally confident and charming. Later, the soulful title track closes Coconut Oil with strains of gospel organ and a buoyant flute melody -- one of classically trained flutist Lizzo's signature sounds. Unlike Cuz I Love You, which harnessed her gospel, pop, R&B, and hip-hop leanings into a cohesive whole, Coconut Oil finds Lizzo trying on several styles for size and making them fit her style instead of vice versa. She harks back to her indie releases on "Phone," the EP's purest expression of her skills as a rapper, and gives her music a tropical lilt with the dancehall-inflected "Deep." As on her later album, every song on Coconut Oil is united by Lizzo's life-affirming messages. When she sings about "gettin' thicker and thicker" on "Scuse Me," it's an antidote to years of body shaming; in "Good as Hell," when she tells women to "walk your fine ass out the door" if their relationships aren't as great as they are, it's a rousing and resounding shout-out to the sisterhood, and the best kind of feel-good anthem. Fans who discovered Lizzo through Cuz I Love You will find Coconut Oil a must-listen -- not only does it feature some of her essential tracks, it's got more of the winning attitude of her breakthrough album (and in August 2019, the EP followed Cuz I Love You onto the Billboard 200 Albums chart). ~ Heather Phares