Entertainment

Lizzo Twerks While Playing James Madison’s 200-Year-Old Crystal Flute

Lizzo Flute Stage James Madison

Twitter/Screenshot/public user: vincelattanzio

Devan Bugbee Contributor
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Singer Lizzo played a 200-year-old crystal flute that belonged to former President James Madison on Tuesday night while twerking on stage at her Washington, D.C., concert, making her the first and only person to play the founding father’s prized possession.

The singer initially stood still on stage and breathed a single note through the flute, a video she uploaded to Twitter showed. After glaring at the invaluable artifact in astonishment, she started a trill and began to twerk. (RELATED: Video Allegedly Shows Rowdy Mob Ransacking Convenience Store In Deep-Blue City)

The Library of Congress reportedly offered to let the singer play the flute during a show at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., according to NBC Washington. The crystal flute is said to be one of the few heirlooms saved by first lady Dolly Madison after the British army burned down the White House during the War of 1812, the outlet noted.

Before playing for her massive audience at Tuesday’s show, Lizzo offered up a more limited performance with the crystal flute inside of the Library of Congress on Monday, another video shared by the pop star showed. After employees explained that the flute had been made in 1813 for Madison, Lizzo apparently performed her twerk-flute combo for a small crowd of library employees in what appeared to be a back office. In the middle of her performance, she looked up and said, “Biatch,” the video indicated.

A third video shows Lizzo playing the flute in a different part of the library. This time, she plays a more classical piece and refrains from twerking.


The pop star, who by her own admission is the only person ever granted the privilege of playing Madison’s flute, claimed last August that she was oppressed while accepting an award, telling her fans to vote to change laws that are oppressing “us.”