The Moment
New year, new ‘do – and Lizzo did not come to play.
On Friday, the 37-year-old four-time Grammy winner jumped on TikTok to debut a serious hair shake-up. Gone are the shoulder-length black curls we’ve gotten used to. In their place: short, bouncy brown curls that sit close to her face and feel very “grown woman starting a new chapter.”
“2026 is the year of cutting it off, ladies,” she declared in the TikTok caption, turning what could’ve been a simple salon update into a mini manifesto.
In the clip, set to Olivia Dean’s “Lady Lady,” Lizzo starts with her longer curls, shaking her head as the lyric “God I used to love this hair. Now there’s something in the air” plays. Smash cut to the reveal: cropped, warm brown curls, bold green eye makeup, and Lizzo cuddling a small dog whose fur just happens to match her fresh color. If you and your pet are twinning, the commitment is real.
It’s not a random one-off either. This is the same woman who tried a blond-and-pink mullet back in August 2023, and a full-on neon green look for that now-iconic nude photoshoot in 2020, where she covered herself in glittering gold star “skin jewelry” by artist J. Maskrey and leaned into emerald eye makeup, lime-green nails, and statement Rory Rockmore earrings.
Translation: Lizzo’s hair has always been a mood board. This time, the mood is very much “cut the dead weight.”
The Take
I’m just going to say it: this isn’t about hair. Not really.
Women, especially women over 35, are practically trained to treat their hair like a security blanket. Don’t go too short. Don’t go too dark. Don’t do anything “drastic” or people will assume you’re spiraling. Meanwhile, Lizzo strolls into 2026 announcing, essentially, chop it off and move on.
There’s something deliciously defiant about watching a famous woman hit her late 30s and go shorter, softer, and lower-maintenance instead of chasing the longest, glossiest, most expensive hair possible. It’s like watching someone clean out a cluttered closet and only keep what actually feels like them.
Lizzo has had a noisy past couple of years – career highs, heavy backlash, and enough public drama to make anyone want to disappear for a minute. Instead, she pops back up with cozy brown curls and a caption that reads like a mission statement. It’s subtle, but the message lands: I’m editing. I’m shedding. I’m not done.
Think of the cut as a visible “unsubscribe” button. Unsubscribe from old eras. Unsubscribe from what you “should” look like after 35. Unsubscribe from hair that takes three hours and a team to style. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is show up with two inches less hair and zero apologies.
And because this is Lizzo, the whole thing is playful, not tortured. The song choice, the matching dog, the twirl of the new curls – it feels less like a breakdown and more like a soft relaunch. It’s the pop-star version of rearranging your furniture and realizing you actually like your house again.
Receipts
Confirmed
- Lizzo posted a TikTok on Friday in early January 2026 unveiling a new short, brown curly hairstyle, after previously wearing shoulder-length black curls.
- In the caption, she wrote that 2026 is the year of “cutting it off” for the ladies, framing the change as part of a new-year mindset.
- The video is set to Olivia Dean’s song “Lady Lady,” and shows a before-and-after transition using the lyric “God I used to love this hair. Now there’s something in the air.”
- Her dog appears in the clip, and its fur closely matches her new hair color.
- Lizzo has a history of bold hair looks, including a blond-and-pink mullet in August 2023 and a vivid green style for a nude photoshoot in 2020, where she wore gold star “skin jewelry,” lime-green nails, emerald eye makeup, and Rory Rockmore earrings.
- Her more elaborate past looks have been created with the help of pro stylists, including hair artist Jstayready working with styling products and extensions.
Unverified
- Any idea that the haircut is a secret signal about new music, a full “rebrand,” or her private life is fan speculation only. Lizzo has not publicly tied the new style to a specific project or announcement.
Sources: Lizzo via TikTok (@lizzo), January 2026; Lizzo via Instagram (@lizzobeeating), August 2020 and August 2023; a syndicated style recap published January 11, 2026.
Backstory (For Casual Readers)
If you haven’t been tracking every Lizzo era: she’s the classically trained flutist turned pop superstar behind hits like “Truth Hurts” and “Good as Hell,” and a four-time Grammy winner known for preaching self-love, body confidence, and big, theatrical fashion. Hair has always been part of the package – from sleek wigs to technicolor curls – and she tends to treat her look like a mood ring for whatever chapter she’s in. Those 2020 green curls and gold stars? Pure “I am the main character” energy. The 2023 mullet? Fun, chaotic, tour-life camp. The new short brown curls read much more grounded: approachable, warm, and a little grown-up, in the best way.
What’s Next
So where does Lizzo’s big chop go from here?
First, expect copycats. A pop star with a large, mostly millennial fanbase logs on in early January and declares it the year of cutting it off? Salons are about to see a spike in “Lizzo-length” inspiration photos from women who are tired of high-maintenance hair and low-grade burnout.
Second, watch how consistently she keeps this look. If she sticks with the soft brown curls across performances, red carpets, and future cover shoots, that’s usually a sign a celeb has found their next “era” anchor. If she starts playing with color on this shorter base, we may be in for a run of fun, painterly shades that still feel more relaxed than the full-extension pop-diva look.
And third, don’t be surprised if we see this clip resurface later, once she’s rolling out new work. Celebrities love a visual breadcrumb. Months from now, that TikTok might look like the unofficial trailer for whatever Lizzo does in her later-30s chapter – musically, personally, or both.
In the meantime, the message is simple and kind of refreshing: you don’t need a crisis to change your hair. You can just decide you’re done carrying extra weight – literal or emotional – and snip.
Would you be bold enough to do a Lizzo-style “big chop” this year, or is long hair still your security blanket?
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