Lizzo debuted the song on the forty-seventh season of Saturday Night Live on April 16, 2022, three months before its release.

[4] Lizzo further performed the song at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, accompanied by a gospel choir.

[5] A few days later, she performed a medley of "Special" with "2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)" and "About Damn Time" at the Brit Awards 2023.

[6] The same month she played the song on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge, alongside a cover of "Unholy" by Sam Smith and Kim Petras.

In the video, she portrays a "beleaguered and put-upon waitress" who is secretly a superhero at night.