Pop superstar Lizzo has added another glittering achievement to her trophy case: Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model. At 38, the Grammy-winning singer and rapper is proving age is just a number as she graces the digital cover of the iconic annual issue.
On Tuesday morning, SI Swimsuit unveiled Lizzo as its cover star for the July 2026 digital edition. The photo shoot took place at a sprawling mansion in South Florida and aboard a Residence Yacht Club charter, capturing Lizzo in stunning swimwear that radiates confidence and joy.
“I was genuinely excited. I was like, ‘Wow, I kind of manifested this,’” Lizzo told SI Swimsuit, reflecting on the moment she learned she’d landed the cover. The singer, who launched her own Yitty Swim line, added that every time she works with her brand, “I always feel like it’s Sports Illustrated-level. It was only a matter of time before these worlds collided.”
Lizzo’s journey to this milestone has been nothing short of remarkable. She rose to fame in the 2010s with hits like “Good As Hell” and “Truth Hurts,” and in 2022, she snagged a Grammy for Record of the Year with “Special.” Now, she’s joining a legacy that includes some of the most celebrated models and athletes in pop culture.
The 2026 SI Swimsuit class is stacked with household names, including Hilary Duff, Bethenny Frankel, and Sophie Cunningham. But Lizzo’s cover moment is already generating buzz across social media, with fans celebrating her unapologetic embrace of body positivity and self-love.
Lizzo couldn’t contain her excitement when she found out about the cover. “I was super excited to do the runway show, and then they were like, ‘You’re on the cover, [expletive].’ I was like, ‘Hell yeah, bring it on!’” she recalled, proving that her signature blend of humor and fierceness is still very much intact.
While it’s unclear if Lizzo will appear in the 2027 print edition, expected next May, her digital cover is already making waves. For now, she’s soaking in the moment, joining a pantheon of stars who have turned heads in swimwear—much like Gisele Bündchen’s recent Tahiti getaway snap and Shakira’s defiant swimsuit look at 49.
Lizzo’s cover is more than just a photo shoot—it’s a statement. At 38, she’s rewriting the rules of who gets to be a swimsuit model, inspiring fans to embrace their own bodies with the same unapologetic swagger. As she put it, “I was like, ‘Hell yeah, bring it on!’” And with that, the world can’t help but watch.
