Lizzo is not pretending the numbers did not hurt.
In a recent interview on the podcast Proto Pop, hosted by Zachary Hourihane, the Grammy-winning artist addressed the commercial failure of her new album, Bitch, which was released on June 5 and failed to chart on the Billboard 200. When Hourihane pressed her for a genuine response and not a public relations answer, she gave one.
"I'm not going to rush you. There's no rush for you to fall in love with the music, honey. I've never been that girl. I think right now — this is the non-PR — I hurt my own feelings," Lizzo replied. "I was really stressed and I was really sad for a few days. Because I was like wait a minute, this is some of my best stuff. I want people to find it. I had to come to terms with the fact that not only is the music industry different, in the last three years — and we need to talk about that and we need to talk about the radio aspect that I got my ass chewed out for, but it's happening and it's true — but also my relationship and my connection musically with the world is different."
According to music data company Luminate, as reported by Rolling Stone, Bitch sold 2,649 copies and brought in just under 2.7 million on-demand streams in its first week. Its second week was significantly worse, with sales dropping to 650 units and streams falling to just under 900,000. That performance stands in stark contrast to her 2022 album Special, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 69,000 equivalent album units.
The gap between those two albums has not been only musical. In 2023, former backup dancers filed a lawsuit against Lizzo alleging sexual harassment, a hostile work environment, and fat-shaming. That case has not yet been settled, and public perception of the artist shifted significantly in the years that followed.
Lizzo said she eventually worked through the disappointment. She said she has "had to mourn that" shift in her connection with fans and the industry, but ultimately decided to "shake it off and move forward." She added: "That's why I'm in this studio today because, well, what are you gonna do? You have to keep going."
During the same conversation, Lizzo pushed back on the term "Khia Asylum," a phrase used online to describe formerly successful pop stars who have faded from public attention. The term has drawn criticism for targeting primarily women, and particularly Black women. "I think it's a tool to bully artists and have power over them," Lizzo said. "It probably used to mean something but now I think it's nonsense."
She also objected to the term being named after rapper Khia, known for "My Neck, My Back." "I was so shocked when people kept saying Khia because it's about Khia, the rapper, 'My Neck, My Back.' We still talk about her, her record," Lizzo said. "I think that is even backhanded in itself to name it after this extremely talented, incredible pillar in the Black community and in Black rap music. Then it's this weapon that targets only women, and a lot of Black women."
