Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” might be a Top 10 hit right now, but the initial response caused the singer-rapper-flautist to consider quitting her career.
In an interview with PEOPLE, she spoke about the September 2017 release. “The day I released ‘Truth Hurts’ was probably one of the darkest days I’ve had ever in my career,” she said. “I remember thinking, ‘If I quit music now, nobody would notice. This is my best song ever, and nobody cares.’ I was like, ‘Fuck it, I’m done.’”
But her crew had her back. “A lot of people rallied,” she said. “My producer, my publicist and my family, they were like, ‘Just keep going because this is the darkest before the dawn.‘”
It’s advice that paid off. Two years later, “Truth Hurts” became her biggest hit. Although Lizzo already had a breakthrough earlier this year with “Juice,” her 2017 single reached No. 6 on the Hot 100 after being featured in the Netflix rom-com, Someone Great, starring Gina Rodriguez. The film significantly increased the song’s Genius view count, and it currently has over 815,000 views.
“Who would have thunk?” Lizzo told PEOPLE. “What a moment in a movie can do for an artist is crazy. I had everything else: the hard work, the good music, touring — but then there’s that extra-special magic that nobody really knows what it is that can really change your life.”
“Now the song that made me want to quit is the song that everyone’s falling in love with me for,” she continued, “which is such a testament to journeys: Your darkest day turns into your brightest triumph.”
This isn’t the only song to receive a Netflix bump. Limahl’s 1984 track “The NeverEnding Story” regained relevance after it was featured in Stranger Things.
This week, Lizzo dropped a music video for her collaboration with Missy Elliott, “Tempo.”
Read all the lyrics to Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” on Genius now.
