Truth Hurts

Truth Hurts started as a low-key 2017 release that barely registered, then pulled off one of the most unlikely climbs to number one in modern pop history. Lizzo wrote it with Ricky Reed, Jesse Saint John, Tele, and Mina Lioness, whose 2016 tweet about a DNA test supplied the song's instantly iconic opening line. The track's minimalist trap beat leaves plenty of room for Lizzo's brash, funny, sharply delivered verses about cutting off a dead-weight partner and reclaiming her own worth.

For two years Truth Hurts sat in relative obscurity. Then in 2019, it found a second life through two unexpected channels: the Netflix movie Someone Great featured it in a key scene, and TikTok users turned the DNA test line into a viral meme. Atlantic Records re-released it as a single in May 2019, and by September it had reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for seven consecutive weeks. That run broke the record for the longest-leading number one by a solo female rapper, surpassing Iggy Azalea's Fancy.

The song's success pushed Lizzo into the mainstream spotlight and earned her a Guinness World Record. It also racked up three Grammy nominations, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Beyond the charts, Truth Hurts became a cultural shorthand for self-assurance and independence, embraced especially by women and LGBTQ+ listeners who found its unapologetic confidence deeply resonant. The official music video, directed by Quinn Wilson, matches the song's playful energy with colorful visuals and a memorable inflatable-rear homage to Sir Mix-a-Lot. [edit]