Lizzo lands Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s July digital cover
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit revealed Lizzo as its July 2026 digital cover model, with the singer posing in black, blue and burgundy swimwear.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
Lizzo has a new cover to add to the résumé: Sports Illustrated Swimsuit named the singer its July 2026 digital cover model in posts shared on Instagram.
The magazine’s verified Instagram account identified the 38-year-old “Good as Hell” performer as the cover star and posted images from the shoot, showing Lizzo in black, blue and burgundy swimwear.
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit captioned one post “LIZZO: SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT JULY 2026 DIGITAL COVER,” and another called her a “Cover girl” while tagging the feature with its SI Swim 2026 and SI Swimsuit hashtags.
The magazine credited the shoot to photographer Robins Robin. The Instagram posts also listed editor in chief MJ Day, makeup artist Alexx Mayo, hair stylist Kim Kimble, stylist Kristen Ingersoll, fashion editor Margot Zamet and digital editor Mara Milam among the team behind the spread.
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit also tagged Residence Yacht Club as the location for the production.
A cover after a year of body talk
The reveal comes after TMZ reported that Lizzo recently said she had gained 20 pounds since last year. TMZ also reported that the singer began taking a more methodical approach to exercise in 2023 and later reached a weight-loss goal.
According to TMZ, Lizzo has been open about her weight changing since then and has said she is not letting the number on the scale define her.
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit images arrive as another public chapter in that conversation, with the singer appearing in the magazine’s July digital cover rollout shortly after speaking about the weight gain.
Music and surprise performances
Lizzo has also been active on the music side. TMZ reported that she released her fifth studio album, “Bitch,” on June 5.
TMZ described the album as having flopped, but the new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover shows Lizzo still picking up major visibility outside the charts.
In May, TMZ reported that Lizzo surprised passengers on the TMZ Brunch Bus with a live performance during a ride through Los Angeles. Video posted by TMZ showed the singer performing for the packed bus crowd.
The July digital cover places Lizzo back in the spotlight with a fashion and swimwear feature, backed by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s Instagram rollout and a full production team credited by the magazine.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.