"Special" is a song by American singer and rapper Lizzo, and the title track of her fourth studio album, Special (2022). It was released to Italian contemporary hit radio on January 13, 2023, as the third single from the album. A remix featuring American singer SZA was released on February 9, 2023. The song peaked at number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Lizzo's first and SZA's second song to top the Adult R&B Airplay chart. It also reached number 2 in Suriname and number 6 in San Marino.
Live performances Lizzo debuted the song on the forty-seventh season of Saturday Night Live on April 16, 2022, three months before its release. She performed the song on Today on July 15, 2022, the same day as the release of its parent album. Lizzo also performed the song during a December 2022 appearance on The Howard Stern Show. Lizzo further performed the song at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, accompanied by a gospel choir. A few days later, she performed a medley of "Special" with "2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)" and "About Damn Time" at the Brit Awards 2023. The same month she played the song on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge, alongside a cover of "Unholy" by Sam Smith and Kim Petras. She was brought out by SZA to perform "Special" together during the concert at the Grand National Tour in Inglewood, California, on May 21, 2025.
Music video Lizzo released the music video for "Special" on February 1, 2023. In the video, she portrays a "beleaguered and put-upon waitress" who is secretly a superhero at night.
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for "Special" Chart (2022–2023) Peakposition Ireland (IRMA) 67 Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan) 14 Latvia Airplay (LaIPA) 6 Netherlands (Single Tip) 20 New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) 11 San Marino (SMRRTV Top 50) 6 South Korea Download (Circle) 159 Suriname (Nationale Top 40) 2 Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) 3
Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for "Special" Chart (2023) Position US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) 69 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) 49 US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (Billboard) 46
Release history + Release dates and formats for "Special" Region Date Format(s) Version Label Italy January 13, 2023 Contemporary hit radio Original Various February 9, 2023 SZA remix United States February 14, 2023 Various February 24, 2023 Sped Up SZA Remix
References