BFF Power: SZA Brings Lizzo Onstage for Surprise Stadium Moment
SZA invites Lizzo onstage at SoFi Stadium for a surprise duet and some bestie magic.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: (L-R) SZA, winner of the the Best R&B Song award for “Snooze,” and Lizzo attend the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
What’s better than one superstar onstage? Two besties lighting it up together!
At her May 21 concert in Los Angeles, SZA had a special surprise for fans during her Grand National Tour stop. Mid-show at the massive SoFi Stadium, she brought out none other than Lizzo to help perform a remix of Lizzo’s 2022 hit, “Special.”
Before Lizzo popped up from below the stage, SZA set the scene with a playful and heartfelt intro: "Okay so usually when I do very scary things, I have a tendency to bring my best friend with me. You may have seen her," she told the crowd. "SoFi [Stadium] counts as one of those scary things, so I brought my best friend for energy and positivity."
Then she called out: "Lizzo, can you come hang with me?"
Cue Lizzo rising dramatically onto the stage—and the crowd went wild.
After the show, Lizzo shared her excitement on Instagram, writing: "BABYS FIRST STADIUM PERFORMANCE— I love u @sza u r THEE DIVA !"
This onstage magic was a long time coming. SZA and Lizzo have been tight since 2014, cheering each other on both in and out of the spotlight. Earlier this year, Lizzo even gushed about SZA during a Twitch stream, saying: "She writes the craziest, most insane s--- that you’re thinking and feeling, but she just finds a way to say it, and she sings it so beautifully out the gate, out of her mouth the first time."
She also mentioned that the duo once considered forming a girl group—with a name too wild to print.
While that band never came to be, Lizzo did lend her talents to SZA’s song "F2F" on the 2022 SOS album. Reflecting on their bond, Lizzo added, “We’ve just always been friends, and it’s a sacred space for me in this industry.”
For now, fans can catch SZA continuing her co-headlining run with Kendrick Lamar on the Grand National Tour—where more surprises just might be waiting.
