This Lizzo trivia quiz has 60 free questions with answers covering the whole story so far: the classically trained flutist from Texas who moved to Minneapolis with nothing, played on a Prince record, and became one of the biggest pop stars of the 2020s. You will be asked about her early groups, the debut album that started it all, the sleeper hits that took years to chart, and the Grammy nights that followed. The questions range from easy (which film soundtrack her Barbie song opened, which president once owned the crystal flute she played) to genuinely hard ones about producers, samples, chart peaks and the Minneapolis label that released her first record. Answers are multiple choice, so you can play it solo or read the questions out at a music night. Every answer has been checked against Wikipedia and primary reporting, and each question shows its source, so if a fact surprises you, you can see where it comes from.
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Q 01What is Lizzo's birth name?
Melissa Jefferson
She was born Melissa Viviane Jefferson on April 27, 1988. The stage name came later, as a teenage nickname.
Q 02In which city was Lizzo born?
Detroit
She spent her first decade in Michigan before the family moved to Texas, where she went through school.
Q 03Lizzo's family relocated to Texas when she was how old?
10
That same year she started classical training on the instrument that would become her trademark, and kept it up for eight years.
Q 04Lizzo has given her signature instrument a name. What is it?
Sasha
Sasha Flute has her own Instagram account and regularly comes out mid-set for a solo.
Q 05Her stage name is a play on 'Lissa' inspired by a hit by which rapper?
Jay-Z
The nickname stuck at age 14, around the time she formed her first musical group with school friends.
Q 06At which college did Lizzo study classical music, concentrating on her instrument?
University of Houston
She dropped out before finishing and, after her father died, spent a year living out of her car while trying to break into music.
Q 07What was the name of the musical group Lizzo formed with friends at age 14?
Cornrow Clique
The teenage crew came together in her Texas school years, long before any record deal.
Q 08In what year did Lizzo move to Minneapolis, the city where her career took off?
2011
Within two years of arriving she had a debut album out on a local label and a spot in two of the city's buzziest groups.
Q 09Which three-piece, all-female rap and R&B group did Lizzo help form in Minneapolis?
The Chalice
The trio caught the ear of a certain purple-clad Minneapolis legend, who put them on one of his albums.
Q 10In 2014 Lizzo was featured on the track 'BoyTrouble' on which Prince album?
Plectrumelectrum
She later called working with Prince 'surreal ... almost like a fairytale'.
Q 11Which five-artist Minneapolis hip-hop group did Lizzo help form in 2013?
Grrrl Prty
It was one of several Twin Cities projects she juggled at once, alongside an electro soul-pop duo called Lizzo & the Larva Ink.
Q 12What was the title of Lizzo's 2013 debut album?
Lizzobangers
It was a hip-hop record produced by Lazerbeak and Ryan Olson, and was picked up for a re-release by Virgin Records the following year.
Q 13Lizzo's 2013 debut album was released on which independent label?
Totally Gross National Product
Some of the beats were lifted from producer Lazerbeak's own 2012 instrumental album Lava Bangers.
Q 21'Truth Hurts' became a viral hit in 2019 partly thanks to its use in which Netflix film?
Someone Great
The Gina Rodriguez rom-com plus a TikTok wave sent a two-year-old song to the top of the Hot 100.
Q 22How many weeks did 'Truth Hurts' spend at number one on the Billboard Hot 100?
7
That tied Iggy Azalea's 'Fancy' for the longest run at number one by a rap song from a female artist.
Q 23The 'DNA test' line in 'Truth Hurts' came from a 2017 tweet by which British singer?
Mina Lioness
The credit was added in October 2019, the same day Lizzo filed a harassment lawsuit against the Raisen brothers, who had claimed a share of the song.
Q 14What was the title of Lizzo's second studio album, released in December 2015?
Big Grrrl Small World
She put it out on her own label, BGSW, with the singles 'My Skin' and 'Humanize' getting music videos.
Q 15Lizzo's second album was recorded at April Base Studios in Wisconsin, owned by which musician?
Justin Vernon
The Bon Iver frontman's studio in Fall Creek hosted the sessions, with BJ Burton handling most of the production.
Q 16Which 2016 EP was Lizzo's first release after signing with Atlantic Records?
Coconut Oil
The six-track EP opens with 'Worship' and later crept onto the Billboard 200 at number 31 once its lead single found a second life.
Q 17'Good as Hell' was originally recorded for the soundtrack of which 2016 film?
Barbershop: The Next Cut
It took three years to become a hit: re-released as a radio single in 2019, it followed 'Truth Hurts' as her second sleeper smash.
Q 18'Good as Hell' entered the Hot 100 in 2019 after Lizzo performed it at which 2019 ceremony?
MTV Video Music Awards
It debuted at number 52 the week after the VMAs and climbed all the way to number three.
Q 19Which pop star featured on the official 2019 remix of 'Good as Hell'?
Ariana Grande
The remix arrived on October 25, 2019, as the song was climbing toward its number-three peak.
Q 20In what year was 'Truth Hurts' originally released?
2017
It sat quietly for almost two years before TikTok and a Netflix rom-com turned it into a number one.
Q 24Which Grammy did 'Truth Hurts' win at the 2020 ceremony?
Best Pop Solo Performance
It was one of three trophies she took home that night, after opening the show with a medley.
Q 25Which producer worked with Lizzo on 'Truth Hurts', 'Good as Hell' and 'Juice'?
Ricky Reed
He also produced 'About Damn Time' and co-wrote 'Pink', making him the constant across her biggest hits.
Q 26The 'Juice' music video, directed by Quinn Wilson, puts Lizzo in what setting?
1980s workout show and infomercials
The retro-funk single was released on January 4, 2019 and won the Soul Train Music Award for Video of the Year.
Q 27What position did Cuz I Love You peak at on the Billboard 200?
4
It took 19 weeks to get there, riding the 'Truth Hurts' wave in September 2019.
Q 28Which rapper is featured on 'Tempo' from Cuz I Love You?
Missy Elliott
Released as a promotional single in March 2019, it was described as an ode to curvaceous women.
Q 29Which Grammy did the deluxe edition of Cuz I Love You win at the 62nd ceremony?
Best Urban Contemporary Album
It was also nominated for Album of the Year but lost to Billie Eilish.
Q 30Which of Lizzo's songs, dedicated to an ex, won the Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance?
Jerome
The slow-burning ballad sits on Cuz I Love You alongside the 'empowering dance track' 'Like a Girl'.