Photo Credit: Lizzo by Robin Harper for Sports Illustrated

Lizzo is the July 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model, the fruits of her labor with her brand Yitty while designing its swimwear line years ago.

It’s a good year for Lizzo. The singer released a new album in May, and now she’s the July 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model. The moment is one of coming home to roost for the star, who says she and her Yitty brand team manifested the outcome years ago while designing its swimwear line. Yitty is the size-inclusive shapewear brand she co-founded in 2022 with activewear giant Fabletics.

“Every time I do Yitty Swim, I always feel like it’s Sports Illustrated level,” Lizzo said. “When I believe what I dream, it comes true.”

The black swimsuit she wears in her cover photo is one of her own design, styled with Ralph Lauren earrings and a custom sheer black sarong

“When I was younger, I saw [Sports Illustrated Swimsuit] and never imagined somebody with my body type would be on the cover,” the 38-year-old singer explained. “It’s just incredible to see how we’ve redefined sexy, redefined confidence, and redefined what a swimsuit body is since I was a kid.”

And she’s already got a response for those who balk at a plus-sized woman on the storied magazine’s cover: “Seeing this cover of me all sexy and fat and fabulous in my Yitty Swim may trigger some people,” she said. “But, you know, stay triggered.”

The two-day photo shoot took place between a Spanish-style South Florida mansion and a Residence Yacht Club charter on the bay. The night before, she headlined the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway show at Miami Swim Week in a bright blue Yitty one-piece with “Bitch” emblazoned on the front—a nod to her album of the same name.

The album didn’t do the numbers she might have hoped, but Lizzo is “really just seeking joy,” and isn’t letting it get her down. She’s also branched out into other avenues, including acting and children’s book authorship. Lizzo will star in a Sister Rosetta Tharpe biopic, which is currently in development, and her first children’s book, “Lil Lizzo Meets Sasha B. Flootin’” is due to release in the fall.