Lizzo Makes History By Playing Crystal Flute Given To James Madison In 1813 For First Time: ‘B––tch, I’m Scared’

If you saw Lizzo do her concert in Washington D.C., the other night, then you were witness to an incredible and peculiar moment in U.S. history. The super popular R&B singer, who is also known to be a flute protégé, collaborated with the Library of Congress to play an over 200-year old crystal flute first gifted to James Madison.

Madison received the flute as a gift from Claude Laurent in the year 1813, and no one involved in this process could’ve guessed that it would be played for the first time at a Lizzo concert in 2022.

Footage from the concert shows the artist taking the flute from Library of Congress staff who were onstage.

Fans laughed as Lizzo held the historical artifact super gingerly walking back to her microphone. “B––tch, I’m scared,” Lizzo said at center stage. “It’s crystal, it’s like playing out of a wine glass!”

Despite the jokes and uncertainty, Lizzo eventually let out a pretty tune before quickly returning the flute back to its minders.

The flute was apparently fashioned for Madison in honor of his second presidential inauguration. The Library has 20 glass flutes made by Laurent, and two of the exceedingly-rare crystal flutes.

The Library of Congress has been run by Carla Hayden since 2016. Hayden was the first black woman to hold the position of Librarian of Congress, and the first professional librarian to have the job since 1974. She commemorated the event on her Twitter account as well.

She called Lizzo “a gift to all of us,” and praised the singer for having “made history much more cooler.”