When asked to choose between Prince and Michael Jackson, Lizzo refused to take the bait.
Appearing on Drink Champs, the Grammy-winning artist turned what could have been a simple debate into a broader conversation about legacy, arguing that both musicians occupy a category that modern artists simply cannot replicate. Rather than picking a winner, Lizzo praised the pair as once-in-a-generation talents whose impact will outlive everyone currently arguing about them.
“How lucky are we to be able to experience or have experienced or witness the kind of artistry that Michael Jackson and Prince gave in real time?” Lizzo said. “In 150 years people are still going to be talking about these artists.”
Lizzo suggested that the environment that produced artists like Jackson and Prince no longer exists. Pointing to the constant distractions of modern life, she contrasted today's viral culture with the obsessive dedication both men brought to their craft.
“Do you know the blisters and the bleeding that you have to have on your fingers to play guitar the way Prince played guitar?” she said. “That comes from hours of sitting and just playing. Like that's not going to come to you after going viral on TikTok.”
She made a similar point about Jackson, recalling the intense work ethic that helped transform him from a child performer into arguably the most recognizable entertainer in history.
“Michael Jackson was working on his spins in a dance studio from 7:00 p.m. to 6 in the morning,” Lizzo said. “They don't do that no more.”
The comments arrive during a year in which Prince's legacy has been back in the spotlight. Earlier this year, the Prince Estate released the previously unheard 1991 recording “With This Tear,” followed by the announcement of Timeless, a new posthumous album arriving August 28 that will feature unreleased recordings spanning nearly four decades of his career.
The estate has also continued expanding Prince's catalog through reissues and vault releases tied to the 10th anniversary of his death.
Lizzo also pushed back on attempts to separate Jackson from the broader history of Black music. During the conversation, she credited the Jackson family and Motown with helping create the blueprint for modern pop stardom.
“The impact Michael Jackson had, there's nobody,” she said. “I don't think there's ever been a pop star of that magnitude. And it will never happen again.”
As for Prince, Lizzo didn't hesitate when discussing his musicianship.
“There's nobody who's touching him when it comes to musicality,” she said, later calling him the greatest guitar player of all time. She pointed to his songwriting, stage presence, vocal ability, and instrumental skills as evidence that his influence extends far beyond any single hit record.
By the end of the discussion, Lizzo arrived at the same conclusion she started with: there is no real answer to the Prince-versus-Michael debate.
“There is no answer,” she said.
