Lizzo’s Latest Album Tanks with Fewer Than 3M Streams

Photo Credit: Raph_PH / CC by 2.0

How did Lizzo go from being a top-ranking, ubiquitous artist to shipping bombs like her latest album, Bitch, which failed to sell even 3,000 units in its first week?

Lizzo’s latest album, Bitch, is out now via Atlantic/WMG, and it’s a flop. That’s especially clear compared to the former pop darling’s previous efforts when she seemed to appear on every radio station and stage just a few short years ago.

According to Luminate stats shared with Digital Music News, total first-week units clocked in at less than 3,000—not even enough to chart in any significant way. Separate data shows total first-week streams at less than 3 million, which is also concerningly low for such a high-profile artist on a major label. Even worse, in the album’s second week, those numbers slumped well below 1 million on the streaming front and under 700 units.

The obvious elephant in the room is that Lizzo is still fighting litigation involving the alleged abuse of her tour dancers. Lizzo recently addressed the matter on CBS Mornings, stating that she will not settle the case and intends to take it to trial.

And the artist definitely thinks that controversy is to blame for her lackluster sales. She replied to a post on X (formerly Twitter) that questioned why didn’t have fans showing up for her after she “was literally selling out arenas not even 2 years ago,” asserting that “the industry changed so much in the last 3 years.”

“Streaming replaced radio, and I was a radio darling. That’s how my fans discovered my music,” Lizzo wrote. “Not to mention the very obvious and public attack on my career changed things.”

While it might seem odd to blame the pivot from radio to streaming in only the last three years, there’s certainly truth in that Lizzo’s legal controversy alienated a lot of fans.

“Her whole brand was built on body positivity, but that image has taken a huge hit due to the lawsuit,” wrote one commenter on Reddit.

Another fan said they believed it wasn’t just the lawsuit that hurt Lizzo’s body positivity brand, but her own weight loss—and the weight loss of many of her fans in the post-COVID GLP-1 medication boom.

“I enjoyed her music a lot, particularly when I was a lot bigger. I related to her confidence along with her size. […] Honestly I’d say it was her primary market because we did not see ourselves represented a lot in music,” they explained. “Lizzo herself has lost a lot of weight. […] but it was her brand for a long time. […] There’s a strange desire from fans of bigger celebrities that they have to stay that weight and feel in a way betrayed when they lose it.”

Some fans also noted that Lizzo’s recent (and lucrative) Chili’s spot is in poor taste, given that the artist was a self-proclaimed vegan until 2024. Despite Lizzo citing that she found she needed more animal proteins in her diet to address health concerns, it seems the pivot to singing the Baby Back Ribs jingle isn’t sitting well with some fans.

Others in the pop music scene claim the new album just isn’t very good, and its title makes it unapproachable.

“Bitch is a terrible name for an album, mostly that it actively deters people from listening to it. Siri literally calls it ‘beep’ when played,” another person explained.

“She can blame it on changes in the cultural landscape or whatever, but the music is just mediocre,” wrote one critic. “And her pivot to songs about being bitter isn’t really hitting.”

Lizzo also blames her label, having recently posted a video showing herself putting up her own promotional flyers, noting that Atlantic refused to fund a “real” promo campaign.

On that note, sources tell DMN that Atlantic has absolutely pulled back its efforts on Lizzo in the wake of her ongoing litigation and drop in sales and relevancy. This too could be related to leadership changes at Atlantic, with Elliot Grainge having recently taken the reins.

“But I’m out here doing my absolute best,” Lizzo wrote on the former Twitter. “And you can’t knock a bitch for that.”