Lizzo Told The Sweet Story Of How She First Met Her Close Friend Harry Styles
Their friendship is everything.
Bestie alert! Lizzo and Harry Styles’ mutual admiration for one another famously transformed into a super-sweet friendship over the past few years, and recently, Lizzo finally dished on what their first meeting was really like. It may not have seemed like the ideal situation for two superstars to meet at first, but Lizzo’s story about how she first met Harry Styles will definitely warm your hear.
On the July 22 episode of the Spout podcast, Lizzo dished the dirt on creating her new album Special, becoming the CEO of her own clothing line, and her upcoming North American tour. But that’s not all she opened up about — the powerhouse singer also couldn’t resist gushing over her close friend Styles. Once prompted, Lizzo dove into how the two first got to know one another.
Before the two knew each other personally, Lizzo recalled that she was first made aware of Styles’ love for her artistry in his 2019 BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge session. Styles followed along with the show’s tradition of covering popular songs by performing a rendition of Lizzo’s groundbreaking hit “Juice.” He spoke highly of Lizzo’s music and authenticity when explaining his cover choice: “I just think she’s amazing. She’s one of the most exciting artists working now for sure. She’s exactly what you want an artist to be, which is themselves.” Excuse me while I gush over how sweet that is.
“He did 'Juice' in his Live Lounge and I was like, oh my gosh, there's a mutual respect here,” Lizzo said in her Sprout interview. Fast-forward just a few weeks after Styles’ “Juice” cover, and the two singers had the perfect opportunity to finally meet. The pair both needed to get to Miami for a show and decided to split a private jet, so their friendship formed 36,000 feet above the ground.
On the plane ride over, they had heart-to-heart conversations that seemed to ease Lizzo’s social anxiety. “That's an interesting way to meet somebody for the first time for people with social anxiety. Not the ideal way, but Harry can make even the most socially anxious person feel very comfortable,” she told the host. If you listen closely, you can hear the smile on Lizzo’s face.
They got along so well on that flight, that Lizzo invited Styles to join her on stage at that Miami concert. The duo performed “Juice” together as a surprise for the crowd, and it marked the first of many on-stage collabs. Their surprise duet got so much love, it only made sense to take it to the stage at Coachella a couple years later. The two donned eccentric fuzzy coats as they sang together during Styles’ 2022 set.
Lizzo went on to give us just a little taste of what it’s like to be friends with Harry Styles. “We were talking for a long time. He's a great person, a great listener, a really good listener and really cares about how you feel, and very funny.”
Despite their love of sharing a stage, Lizzo and Styles have not confirmed any kind of future collaboration yet. The two seem to be happy popping up at each other’s shows, but I’m holding out hope for an official duet that’ll definitely break the internet.
