New Song, New Starring Role

After a hiatus from music and performing, Lizzo is back in a big way. New music and a starring role in a film by Amazon MGM Studios are just the beginning.

Lizzo played her first public concert in almost two years earlier this month in support of her upcoming album, Love in Real Life. That project has already seen the release of two singles: the eponymous title track, and “Still Bad,” with an accompanying music video. But 2025 is going to be a big year for Lizzo in another way; she’s slated to play musician Sister Rosetta Tharpe in an upcoming biopic from Amazon MGM Studios.

“Rosetta,” from writers Natalie Chaidez (“The Flight Attendant”) and Kwynn Perry (“Tigerbelles”), tells the story of the godmother of Rock & Roll, who influenced trailblazers like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Johnny Cash. Lizzo will also serve as producer alongside Kevin Beisler, Nina Yang Bongiovi, and Forest Whitaker.

Currently in development, the film “captures a pivotal period in [Tharpe’s] life — one of groundbreaking innovation, defiant passion, and secret love,” reads an early description of the project. “As she shatters musical boundaries with her signature guitar sound, Rosetta must navigate societal constraints, conceal her love for another woman, and ultimately transform a wedding into one of the most legendary concerts in history — the first stadium show.”

The biopic’s announcement comes at a good time for Lizzo, who has been gradually returning to the public eye with new music. The four-time Grammy winner took nearly two years away from music and stage as she faced multiple lawsuits and accusations from former employees with claims of harassment in the workplace. Her fifth studio album, Love in Real Life, is due out later this year.

Interest in Sister Rosetta Tharpe undoubtedly reemerged since her portrayal on film by musician Yola in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic, “Elvis.” Tharpe died in 1973, but her songs continue to appear in popular culture across film and television, such as “A League of Their Own,” “Elvis & Nixon,” “I Know This Much Is True,” “Atlanta,” and many more.