A fate worse than death. And the most scary part? It was the government that loaned it to her.

Edit: Updated the title. I meant that she was allowed to use it, not own.

Article:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/28/entertainment/lizzo-plays-james-madison-crystal-flute-cec/index.html

CNN Ever the pioneer, Lizzo crossed off another first during the Washington, DC stop of her tour – playing an approximately 200-year-old crystal flute that belonged to a former US president. The “About Damn Time” singer and accomplished flutist carefully played the delicate woodwind, which was sent as a gift to James Madison in 1813 by the French flute maker Claude Laurent. The Library of Congress has maintained the flute in its vault for decades before allowing Lizzo to play it onstage. In footage shared by concertgoers, Lizzo excitedly and delicately handled the flute under the careful watch of Library staff and Capitol Police. She briefly shared the history of the flute with her audience and said she was “the first person to ever play it.” “Bh, I’m scared,” she said to the audience’s laughter. “It’s crystal. It’s like playing out of a wine glass, bh, so be patient.” She played a note on the crystal flute, pausing excitedly after it made a sound, according to a video Lizzo shared on social media. Then, she blew a few more fluttery notes on it, cautiously twerking as she played, as is her signature. After a few seconds, she held the flute high in the air, victorious, and carefully returned it to the staff waiting a few feet away. “B,***h, I just twerked and played James Madison’s crystal flute from the 1800s,” she said incredulously. “We just made history tonight!” Lizzo then thanked the library for “preserving our history” and reminded her fans that “history is freaking cool.” Earlier this week, the Library of Congress invited Lizzo to visit its collection of 1,700 flutes, the largest in the world, per the Library. She carefully played the flute there first before she “serenaded employees and a few researchers” with a “more practical” woodwind, the Library said.

Video of her playing it:

https://twitter.com/lizzo/status/1575003731640274944