Lizzo's "Truth Hurts" Was Almost Her Last Song & Now It's Her Biggest Hit

With a breakout new album, a tour, and an upcoming movie with J. Lo, Lizzo is on top of the world right now. But it didn't always feel that way. As Lizzo, who's been open about her struggles with depression in the past, admits, it's been a real journey. In fact, in a new interview, Lizzo revealed that she almost quit music after dropping her 2017 single "Truth Hurts."

Sure, "Truth Hurts" is now Lizzo's biggest hit, but, as she told People, "the day I released ‘Truth Hurts’ was probably one of the darkest days I’ve had ever in my career." At the time, the Minneapolis rapper, who was a protégée of the late Prince, had released her first mixtape in 2010, followed by her first studio album three years later, and "Truth Hurts" wasn't getting the reaction she hoped it would. Lizzo (real name: Melissa Jefferson) was starting to feel discouraged and like it was time to give up.

"I remember thinking, ‘If I quit music now, nobody would notice. This is my best song ever, and nobody cares,'” Lizzo told People. “I was like, ‘F*ck it, I’m done.’ And a lot of people rallied; my producer, my publicist, and my family, they were like, ‘Just keep going because this is the darkest before the dawn.'"

Luckily, she listened to her supporters and pressed on, but the two years between "Truth Hurts" and the release of her major label debut Cuz I Love You weren't easy. And it wasn't until Netflix's rom-com Someone Great starring Gina Rodriguez was released in 2019 that "Truth Hurts" took off and became a hit. "Truth Hurts" is currently at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and rising, making it her first top 10 hit.

“Now the song that made me want to quit is the song that everyone’s falling in love with me for, which is such a testament to journeys: Your darkest day turns into your brightest triumph," Lizzo told People.

In the past year, Lizzo has become a driving force for mental health awareness and self love. Last month, she posted a candid Instagram video that let her followers know “being emotionally honest can save your life." In it, she talked about using sadness constructively and aimed an important question at her followers: "What do you love about yourself in those moments of darkness?”

Around the same time, during her Glastonbury set, Lizzo preached self-love, asking the audience to repeat after her. "I want you to go home tonight and look in the mirror and say, 'I love you, you are beautiful, and you can do anything,'" she told the crowd. "I really want you to say that, because I believe that we can save the world if we save ourselves first."

Luckily, Lizzo's feeling good as hell about where she's at now, and there're nothing painful about that truth.

If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) website, or call 1-800-950-NAMI(6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357). In an emergency, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or call 911.