Special is the fourth studio album by American rapper and singer Lizzo, released by Nice Life and Atlantic Records on July 15, 2022.

[3][4] It was preceded by the lead single "About Damn Time", released on April 14, 2022, which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and the top ten in twelve other countries.

During her keynote speech at the South by Southwest festival in March 2022, Lizzo announced that her album was finished, saying "It’s done so it’s coming very very soon…and it’s good.

[16] On July 6, Lizzo revealed the tracklist of Special on her Instagram account by showing the back cover of its vinyl packaging.

[23] On April 25, 2022, Lizzo announced a full arena tour in support of the album, starting on September 23, 2022, in Sunrise, Florida and ending on June 2, 2023, in Thousand Palms, California.

Many of the biggest tunes channel Seventies disco and Eighties synthpop" and added "It's clear she isn’t an outsider any more.

"[29] In an article for The Independent, reviewer Helen Brown pointed that Special is overflowing with love and gratitude to friends, family, lovers and fans and added that [Lizzo's] rap flow has a terrific tensile strength and said that when singing, she delivers as both a belter and a breathy balladeer.

"[31] NME contributor Nick Levine gave the album four out of five stars, observing that "Lizzo's overwhelmingly positive message, Special is sometimes a bit cheesy," before concluding that "Lizzo knows exactly who she is as an artist and what she wants to achieve: she's the bad bitch with an incredible talent for making people feel good".

In a more mixed reception of the album, Sam Franzini of The Line of Best Fit believed that for "most songs on Special, there is a rawer, more real iteration somewhere else in Lizzo’s catalog," and that having the "glossiest pop sheen steamrolled over them, erasing any wrinkles or mishaps" removed "the exact thing that made [Lizzo's songs] endearing to begin with.

[40][41] Some internet users claimed that "spaz" is used differently in African-American Vernacular English and is synonymous with "freaking out," but disability organizations in the UK and the US have criticized its use.

[42][43] Shortly afterwards, Lizzo issued an apology and released an updated version of the song, stating, "I never want to promote derogatory language.