"Cuz I Love You" is a song by American singer and rapper

Lizzo Melissa Viviane Jefferson (born April 27, 1988), known professionally as Lizzo, is an American singer, rapper, and flutist. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she moved to Houston, Texas with her family when she was 10 years old. After college she ...

. It was originally released on February 14, 2019 as the first promotional single from her third studio album of the same name. It was serviced to top 40 radio stations on January 28, 2020 as the third single from the album. Lizzo performed the song as the opening number of the

62nd Annual Grammy Awards The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 26, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from October 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019. Al ...

on January 26, 2020.

Composition

"Cuz I Love You" was written by Lizzo alongside American rock band

X Ambassadors X Ambassadors (also stylized XA) are an American pop rock band from Ithaca, New York. Its members currently include lead vocalist Sam Harris, keyboardist Casey Harris, and drummer Adam Levin. Russ Flynn is a touring member that plays guitar and ...

, the latter of whom provided production for the track. Musically, "Cuz I Love You" is a

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...

-inspired

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

song that showcases Lizzo's vocal ability. Lizzo's performance in the song has been compared to that of

Darlene Love Darlene Wright (born July 26, 1941), known professionally as Darlene Love, is an American singer and actress. She was the lead singer of the girl group the Blossoms and she also recorded as a solo artist. She began singing as a child with her ...

. The number begins with the singer loudly belting "I’m crying/Cuz I love you" before being accompanied by a brass and percussion-heavy band. The song's lyrical content discusses the singer entering a relationship with someone special and departing from her previous approaches to romance. The song title, as well as some of the lyrics, are obviously inspired by

Slade Slade are an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The ''British Hit Singles ...

's 1971 single "

Coz I Luv You "Coz I Luv You" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1971 as a non-album single. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler. It reached No. 1 in the UK, giving the band their ...

Critical reception

Alex Young of ''

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...

'' deemed the song "a soulful big band offering in the vein f

that showcases Lizzo's immense vocal prowess". Bailey Calfee, writing for ''

Nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from pe ...

'', wrote that the track "lets Lizzo flex her unbeatable vocal range, and we hear her belting to the gods. In the song, she gives an emotional confession of love to an unknown suitor, who has seemingly made her realize what true love really feels like." Katherine Gillespie of ''

Paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distrib ...

'' called the song "a big band soul moment that fully harnesses her impressive vocal powers." Brittany Spanos of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' wrote that the song "offers a fiery taste of her incredibly vocal and genre range".

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

for "Cuz I Love You" was directed by Quinn Wilson. The black-and-white visual for the album sees the singer adopt the role of a priest, and give a church session for several worshipping men.

Charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{authority control 2019 songs 2020 singles Atlantic Records singles Lizzo songs Songs written by Lizzo Soul ballads