The super-charismatic Lizzo doesn’t really need hits, but on ‘Special,’ she has them anyway

Lizzo’s pop stardom has relied only partially on pop hits. Of course, Lizzo’s optimism has provided the narrative thrust of her music since she was toiling in Minneapolis’ indie hip-hop scene long before “Truth Hurts” broke. What’s different about “Special” is how sharp the arrangements are, be it the glistening, note-perfect Pointer Sisters homage of “2 Be Loved”; “Everybody’s Gay,” a throbbing club track with echoes of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”; or the swaggy soul-rock of “Break Up Twice,” which prominently interpolates Lauryn Hill’s “Doo-Wop.” The album’s closer, “Coldplay,” samples a sped-up snatch of that band’s “Yellow,” which sounds like a ghastly idea — only Lizzo somehow manages to wind her vocals around Chris Martin’s in a way that feels sweetly sincere. Fittingly, that R&B slow jam is probably Lizzo’s most beautiful vocal performance on “Special,” with just enough grit in the verses to set up the go-for-it diva moments in the chorus. But Lizzo’s special sauce as a singer is the conversational quality she brings to a song like “I Love You B—,” in which she lays out a partner’s many winning attributes, including his willingness to “give me your hoodie when I’m cold.” “Bless your heart, it’s too small,” she adds with flawless comic timing — a throwaway line for a less endearing pop star, perhaps, but a typically brilliant bit of self-portraiture for Lizzo.