You know Lizzo loves to rock. The “About Damn Time” singer proved it this summer when she covered German metal maniacs Rammstein‘s signature hit “Du Hast” while on tour in Berlin. And on Monday night (April 11) Nickelback reminded us that she once heaped praise on them on Canadian network CBC Music’s “Jam or Not Jam” segment in 2020 in an Instagram post in which they thanked her for the kind words.
“Thank you @lizzobeating for the kind words!,” they wrote alongside of a clip from the show. “Open invite any show any time… maybe see you in Houston this summer?”
The bit’s conceit revolves around the artist listening to a series of songs while wearing headphones and proclaiming the song a “jam” or “not jam.” When the strains of Nickelback’s 2001 Silver Side Up rock anthem “How You Remind Me” bubble up, Lizzo wastes no time singing along to Chad Kroeger’s grunting vocals, proclaiming, “it has a beautiful climax.”
“Why do people not like Nickelback? I feel like Nickelback gets way too much s–t,” she says, alluding to the frequent scorn heaped on the Canadian band. “I think that this is a jam.”
“Here we go, five, six, seven, eight,” the classically trained flutist counts off as the song builds to said climax and she begins banging her head, even as she admits she doesn’t know all the lyrics. “I like you… sorry,” she sings in her best strained Kroeger impression, fumbling the words, but praising the inescapable melody. “The beat drop-out, b—h?”
So, why does Lizzo think Nickelback get so much s–t? “Because he [Kroeger] had a curly blond perm,” she opines. “That’s the only reason they get s–t, because this is an amazing song.”
In the rest of the segment, she freaks out over the slam-dunk jam, Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps,” gets hyped to hear BTS for the first time on their “ocean jam” collab with Halsey, “Boy With Love” and has to give it up to the Canadian pop queen Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On,” if only for the “whimsical” pan flute opening.
Watch Lizzo rock out to Nickelback below (“How You Remind Me” bit begins at the :30 second mark).