Pop albums are drowning in 'narrative.' What happens when we go in cold?

Pop star Lizzo and the rising artist Imani Imani each released major albums the week of June 1. Lizzo (left) by Jason Renaud / Imani Imani courtesy of pgLang hide caption toggle caption Lizzo (left) by Jason Renaud / Imani Imani courtesy of pgLang If you've spent any time with the music of the bedazzled pop star Lizzo , drop into " Too Nice ," from her new album Bitch , and it won't take you long to spot a difference. Her last big splash, the infectious, chart-topping 2022 single " About Damn Time ," was upbeat in the face of stressors: "Bitch, I might be better!" she whooped. "Too Nice," comparatively, is fed up and scorned, downbeat and reactive. "You said 'I love you and I miss you' last time we talked / Now you playin' on the internet like you forgot," goes one verse. "You'd still be workin' at the mall if it wasn't for mе / Sorry if I'm soundin' broken, but you tried to break mе." For much of her defining run, Lizzo was emblematic of an idyllic extramusical experiment, her songs a wellspring for yas queen enthusiasm. "Everyone looks to an artist for something more than just the music and that message of being comfortable in my own skin is number one for me," she told Billboard in 2015. But take Bitch 's music as a clear indication: She hasn't been truly comfortable for a while. …