Key Takeaways
- Lizzo makes her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut as the July 2026 digital cover star, shooting in bold looks—including pieces from her own Yitty Swim line—after performing at the brand’s Swim Week show in Miami.
- She says the cover feels “manifested,” credits Yitty’s size- and shape-inclusive swimwear for making the collab feel inevitable, and notes she never imagined seeing a body like hers on the magazine growing up.
- The moment caps a busy run that includes her new album B*tch, a Chili’s “Baby Back Ribs” campaign, a forthcoming children’s book, and an upcoming role as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, following months of her speaking out on body image and the shrinking visibility of plus-size women.
Lizzo has another career first to celebrate. The Grammy winner is the new July 2026 digital cover star for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, a milestone that comes just weeks after releasing her latest album, B*tch, and caps off an already packed summer of music, fashion, and new creative projects.
The cover shoot followed Lizzo's appearance at the magazine's Swim Week runway show in Miami, where she performed songs from her new album before stepping in front of photographer Robin Harper's camera at a waterfront mansion and aboard a luxury yacht. The spread features the singer in a mix of bold swimwear, including several pieces from her own Yitty Swim collection.
For Lizzo, the moment felt like something she'd been building toward. “I was genuinely excited,” she told Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. “I was like, ‘Wow, I kind of manifested this.’”
She credited her Yitty brand with helping make the collaboration feel inevitable. “Every time I do Yitty Swim, I always feel like it's Sports Illustrated-level. It was only a matter of time before these worlds collided.”
The cover also represents another milestone for Yitty, the size-inclusive apparel brand Lizzo launched to expand options in shapewear and swimwear. “I was very proud to be a part of a burgeoning clothing category, which is size-inclusive, shape-inclusive swimwear and activewear,” she said.
Looking back at the magazine she grew up reading, Lizzo added, “When I was younger, I saw Sports Illustrated and never imagined somebody with my body type would be on the cover.”
That statement lands after months of Lizzo publicly discussing body image from multiple angles. In a personal essay published late last year, she reflected on beginning her weight-loss journey during a period of severe depression and argued that the rise of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic was contributing to the disappearance of plus-sized representation in fashion.
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover is just one piece of a busy stretch for the singer. Since releasing B*tch, Lizzo has become the face of Chili’s revived “Baby Back Ribs” campaign, announced her children's book Lil Lizzo Meets Sasha B. Flootin', and is preparing to portray Sister Rosetta Tharpe in an upcoming film.
“I've watered the seed, and the seed is out in the garden,” Lizzo said of her growing slate of projects. “I have a garden with all kinds of things growing... I get to just sit back, water each one and allow them to blossom.”
