We first started hearing the name Lizzo in 2018, but the singer became a household name in 2019 when she skyrocketed to fame thanks to her incredibly catchy and positive music. Lizzo’s body positivity, self-love and no BS attitude has made her a huge success—but it wasn’t always like that.

It’s not like the singer found “overnight success.” Her huge hits weren’t only one year in the making. 

For a decade, the artist had been working on her music and trying to break out in the entertainment industry. On New Year’s Eve, Lizzo remembered the start of the decade, which was much more difficult than we knew. In 2009, Lizzo was working odd jobs, living out of her car, and had just lost her father. 

The singer took a trip down memory lane posting a major TB picture on Instagram.

Lizzo looked back on the past decade and reflected on some of the troubling times she went through to get to where she is now. “2009 was the year my daddy died. 2009 was the year I lived in my car and cried myself to sleep on Thanksgiving. 2009 I was a girl in Houston, Texas, with no plan, no hope, no will to carry on,” Lizzo began.  Then she reflected on the year that brought her insane success, “2019 is the year my album and song went number 1. 2019 is the year I told my mama, ‘I can buy you a house.’ 2019 I am a woman with a 20/20 vision of the future. Anything can happen in a decade. Tomorrow is the beginning of your anything. Thanks for the ride 2019. Here we go 2020!”

Lizzo had quite an impressive year this 2019

Now the singer’s nominated for eight Grammys, has performed on countless awards show stages, headlined SNL, and was Time magazine’s Entertainer of the Year —just to name a few of her merits. Plus, she’s buying her mom a new house, how’s that for a glow up?

She even worked as a sign spinner before, and now she’s “the artist who defined 2019.”

Lizzo is a true inspiration and the best example to follow your dreams, because that’s exactly what she did, and look where it took her. Before Lizzo was the fabulous rapper, flautist, and singer that she is today; she was working odd jobs, like sign-spinning, to make ends meet. “Don’t stop … we need you. 2020 is yours for the taking,” she captioned a post showing her at the beginning of the decade working as a sign spinner for Liberty Taxes and then the promo for her SNL debut. 

Lizzo celebrated New Year’s Eve feeling all of the feels. 

Now that we know just how far she’s come, it’s no surprise that Lizzo was in her feels on New Year’s Eve. The singer has plenty to celebrate, but also a lot to look back on. “NYE MOODS,” she tweeted featuring a few glamorous images. 

Sometimes we forget to acknowledge all the blood, sweat, and tears, artists have shed to get to where they are now.

Other artists identified with Lizzo’s come-up throughout the decade, and shared their own. Adam Rifkin, a writer and director, replied to the rapper’s tweet: “Sometimes it takes 10 years to get that one year that will change your life.” 

Then he shared a full-moment post from Lin-Manuel Miranda.

@ifindkarma

The composer, lyricist, singer, actor, producer, and playwright, worked on his successful Broadway musical Hamilton for years before it found its place.

Lizzo’s having the best time of her life, period.

“U ready?” she asked her 7.2 million followers, after ringing in the New Year living her absolute best life —And honestly, I don’t think we are. This past year, Lizzo already served us so much great music and self-love, and we’re ready to bet there’s so much more to come.