Already no stranger to internet storms, the outspoken pop singer Lizzo is once again at the center of controversy after lighting the fuse of a years-old debate about who truly deserves the "Queen of Pop" crown.
While defending Janet Jackson, the singer made an unexpected comment that got Britney Spears fans seeing red.
Lizzo named Janet Jackson the "Queen of Pop," a title usually used by fans to describe Madonna
Highlights
- Lizzo reignited a long-standing debate by calling Janet Jackson the “Queen of Pop,” a title many fans believe belongs to Madonna.
- To defend herself, Lizzo claimed Britney Spears was “doing a Janet Jackson impersonation,” sparking backlash from Spears’s fans.
- Amid the controversy, Lizzo revealed her “toxic relationship” with the internet, saying she feels unwell when seeing posts about herself.
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Image credits: Lizzo Music / YouTube
In previous posts in 2021, Lizzo had named Janet Jackson the “Queen of Pop.” In her X post, Lizzo gave titles to iconic names from the music industry, writing, “King of Pop - Michael Jackson, Queen of Pop - Janet Jackson, Prince of Pop - [Justin] Bieber, Princess of Pop - Britney Spears, The Pop Princess - Rihanna, Queen of Music - Beyonce.”
Seeing this, social media users quickly rushed to disagree with the singer, with most arguing that the “Queen of Pop” title belongs to none other than Madonna.
Lizzo defended her remarks by saying Britney Spears is “doing a Janet Jackson impersonation”
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Image credits: Sibling Rivalry / YouTube
Now, in a bid to defend herself from the negative comments, the 36-year-old made more controversial remarks, dragging Britney Spears’s name into the mix. During her appearance on the Sibling Rivalry podcast on April 1, the singer mentioned the controversial 2021 X post she made about Janet Jackson.
Saying that "people came for [her] on the internet," she justified her post by explaining, "Here is why I said Janet Jackson is the Queen of Pop: Britney Spears is doing a Janet impression, and she said it."
"Janet is her diva. There were no such things as pop divas before Janet," Lizzo shared.
The Juice singer called Jackson “the first” and said that “she invented this s**t”
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Lizzo went on to say that Janet Jackson was the first. She continued, "[Jackson] was famous when Madonna was a kid watching her on television. And I'm just putting it out there. It's not because someone is better than the other. She was just first, and she is Janet. She invented this s**t," while adding that "Madonna is the pop icon."
The singer explained that she "felt like [she] was just fighting for [her] life because people were dragging [her] by [her] ankles" over the earlier posts.
Lizzo’s “impersonation” claims sparked fury among Britney Spears’s fans
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Sadly, the singer put herself on the mark once again with her new podcast. Getting Spears fans riled up, the Truth Hurts singer became the target of furious comments.
"Nobody thinks of THE Britney Spears as a Janet Jackson impersonator. She literally crafted her own sound and imagery at 16 and became the blueprint for every new pop girl," one fan said in a post on X.
"Woke up to LIZZO dragging THE Britney Spears? I think the F**k not," another fan exclaimed.
Image credits: John Mathew Smith / Flickr
"Disrespecting THE Britney Spears in 2025 ??? That’s why nobody’s listening to your new songs @lizzo," one user said, mocking the singer’s dropping streams.
"Worry about your career lasting one summer and your latest tweet not even crossing 100 likes @lizzo,” another clapped back.
Another lashed out at the singer over her words, saying, “Lizzo is soooo lame like ????? wtf girl britney’s music stood the test of time, the kids not gonna remember your s**t in 20 years.”
Some fans acknowledged Jackson’s influence on Spears but called out Lizzo for her poor choice of words
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“Lizzo’s wording is actually really aggravating, because for years people have been posting videos about how Britney went to the school of Janet Jackson when it came to her dancing. That was a positive take on it which was celebrating their talent,” one fan explained.
“Now here comes Lizzo randomly talking about Britney in an interview twisting it into a negative saying Britney’s a Janet impersonator,” they added, criticizing the singer's words.
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“Lizzo is entitled to her wrong opinions. Britney is an icon in her own right, it’s not an impersonation. Janet is a legend. Britney is a legend,” another agreed.
Another fan, who referred to Spears as a "student" of Jackson's, added that there was a difference between the two singers, saying, "[Britney] has graduated and succeeded in her OWN lane to become a blueprint herself. Lizzo done lost her damn mind."
Spears has previously paid tribute to Janet Jackson
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Both Janet Jackson and Britney Spears are pop icons with over 160 million and 150 million record sales worldwide, respectively. Jackson's influence on pop music is undeniable, and Britney Spears has also previously acknowledged how much Janet has shaped her artistic vision.
In a since-deleted Instagram post, the Toxic singer paid tribute to Jackson, saying, “Thank you to this beautiful lady for keeping my dreams and heart alive. She’s always been the deepest and brightest woman at the same time. She went through so much but I feel she is someone I will look up to for the rest of my life. Thank you for your music and your divine way of untangling intelligence to a far more clear view than anyone could ever imagine.”
Lizzo said that she has a “toxic relationship” with the internet
Image credits: U.S. Navy photo / Chief Warrant Officer 4 Seth Rossman
During her December 2024 appearance on Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, Lizzo revealed that she has developed a "toxic relationship" with the internet, particularly following the bombshell s****l harassment and assault lawsuit filed against her by former dancers.
Speaking of losing "fans," she shared, "I was like, Oh, wow. This is the part of fame that you unknowingly sign up for.”
The singer admitted to feeling "unwell" when she sees things about herself on social media
"When I see things about me now, or if even if I see a word that looks like my name, I get physically unwell, and I can't take it. So I have a very toxic relationship with the internet now," she confessed.
Lizzo added that "People now will just believe anything bad about you because there's something about being a famous person that it's almost like people wanna believe that you're a bad person, and they can't believe that you're actually boring and chill and nice."
Online users commented on Lizzo's remarks about the pop icons
