Jayden Collins
Jayden Collins is a Journalist at LADbible. He has worked across multiple media platforms in areas such as sport, music, pop culture, entertainment and politics. He is part of the editorial team for LADbible Australia.
Lizzo stunned fans at a concert on Tuesday (September 27) night when she played an iconic performance using a 200-year-old crystal flute.
The real kicker: she also became the first and only person known to have played the historic instrument.
The flute once belonged to US President James Madison and had since been stored away and preserved at the Library of Congress.
In a video shared by the artist, Lizzo can be seen amazing the audience as she is handed the flute and then plays to the delight of everyone in attendance.
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She joked: “B***h, I’m scared. It’s crystal. It’s like playing out of a wine glass.”
The Grammy-winning star is classically trained on the flute and has often incorporated the instrument into her sets, often twerking at the same time.
However, this performance is definitely the most significant in her career yet.
The historic moment came about after Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden invited the musician to check out the library’s flute collection.
She wrote on Twitter: “The Library of Congress has the largest flute collection in the world with more than 1,800. It includes President James Madison’s 1813 crystal flute.”
She then offered up the invitation of a lifetime.
Carla added: “Lizzo we would for you to come see it and even play a couple when you are in DC next week. Like your song they are ‘Good as hell.’
Lizzo responded in an emphatic fashion, saying: “IM COMING CARLA! AND I'M PLAYIN THAT CRYSTAL FLUTE!!!!!”
James Madison was known for drafting the Bill of Rights and much of the US Constitution, however, was also a known enslaver and carved out a ruling that Black Americans didn’t count as much as free Americans.
The significance of Lizzo’s performance and Hayden’s invitation wasn’t lost on fans.
One wrote: “Lizzo, a black female superstar, collaborating with Carla Hayden, the first African American and first woman Librarian of Congress to use a flute from James Madison…The symbolism.”
Another said: “This flute once belonged to enslaver president James Madison.
“And now it is being played by this gorgeous, talented Black woman for all the world to behold.”
Lizzo finished her performance and reminded fans: “History is freaking cool, you guys.”