Britney Spears is perhaps the defining pop star of her era. If you ask Lizzo, though, he thinks that Spears is doing an “impression” of Janet Jackson.

Towards the beginning of a recent episode of the Sibling Rivalry podcast, Lizzo explained her perspective:

“I have to really clear up some sh*t, because people came for me on the internet because I said Janet Jackson is the queen of pop. I said Janet Jackson is the queen of pop, and here is why I said Janet is the queen of pop: Britney Spears is doing a Janet impression, and she said it. Janet is her diva. There were no such things as pop divas before Janet. Janet was first; She was famous when Madonna was a kid watching her on television. And I’m just putting it out there: It’s not because someone is better than the other, she was just first, and she is Janet. She invented this sh*t.”

In 2024, Spears wrote of Jackson, “Thank you to this beautiful lady for keeping my dreams and heart alive. She’s always been the deepest and brightest woman at the same time. She went through so much but I feel she is someone I will look up to for the rest of my life. Thank you for your music and your divine way of untangling intelligence to a far more clear view than anyone could ever imagine.”

Check out the Sibling Rivalry episode above.