Lizzo Singing

There was no shortage of musicians and celebrities on Global Citizen's virtual concert, One World: Together At Home, ( Paul McCartney, hello) but Lizzo's stirring performance of Sam Cooke's classic song "A Change Is Gonna Come" might just be tonight's standout so far.

It would only be technically accurate to say the multiple Grammy-winning artist did a "stripped-down" version of Cooke's 1964 song. Though Lizzo, as with pretty much every star who appeared on the coronavirus benefit stream, appeared to be recording from the safety of her own home without much in the way of backing or instrumentals, her voice and the poignancy of Cooke's original lyrics made "A Change Is Gonna Come" feel especially vital right now.

The song, which Cooke was inspired to write in the face of Civil Rights-era racism and a hope for a better tomorrow, had an extra bit of significance on Saturday night, as Lizzo sang it between appearances by both Beyoncé and Alicia Keys who noted that black Americans are being disproportionality affected by COVID-19.

Listen to Lizzo perform below.