Lizzo is fully embracing her foodie era and it now includes ribs, a flute, and a partnership with Chili’s Grill & Bar.
In a new interview with Billboard, the Grammy winning singer opened up about becoming the face of Chili’s latest “Baby Back Ribs” campaign, which features her own version of the restaurant chain’s iconic jingle.
“To be a part of this cultural event,” Lizzo said. “Man, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m the perfect person for it.”
The over the top commercial released Wednesday features giant slabs of meat, disco style dancing in a Chili’s kitchen, and even Lizzo performing with a flute designed to look like a juicy rib.
The partnership may surprise some fans because Lizzo previously followed a vegan lifestyle for several years and frequently shared that journey online. However, she revealed in late 2024 that she had started eating meat again and admitted she was initially nervous about how people would react.
“I was so nervous that I would hurt people’s feelings or let people down,” she explained. “But it was important for me to say that back then, because of things like this now, where it would have been super jarring for me to be a vegan in 2021, and then 2026, I’m eating a big old rib and playing a rib flute.”
Lizzo joked that her love for food runs deep and even said she would probably be a mukbang creator if she was not a singer.
“Everyone knows that I’m just, at my core … If I was not a singer, I’d probably be a mukbanger,” she said with a laugh.
The singer also revealed that dressing up as a Chili’s mozzarella stick for Halloween last year may have helped spark the collaboration.
For the campaign, Lizzo reimagined the classic “Baby Back Ribs” tune with updated lyrics and her signature flute playing. Before recording it, she studied past versions of the jingle from artists like NSYNC and Boyz II Men.
“The *NSYNC version, I remember being like, ‘Whoa,’” she recalled. “They made it a ballad, and they were shipwrecked, and they’re like, ‘I want my baby back.’”
The collaboration arrives just ahead of Lizzo’s upcoming album “Bitch,” which is set to release June 5.
And yes, the rib flute might be strange but not the strangest instrument she has played.
“I did play a cookie flute on Sesame Street,” she joked. “So I’ve played edible flutes before.”
