Lizzo Says ‘The Algorithm’ Is Hurting Her Album Rollout

Lizzo’s upcoming third major label album Bitch is set to arrive this summer — but she doesn’t expect you to know that.

Though years ago she dominated the charts with hits like “About Damn Time,” “Juice,” and her No. 1 hit “Truth Hurts,” a lot has changed in the music landscape. Particularly, artists are relying heavily on platforms like TikTok and social media to promote their upcoming singles and albums. But the inner workings of these social channels have proven frustrating for many artists, including Lizzo.

In a TikTok posted on her page on Tuesday, May 12, the Grammy-winner expressed her disdain for music marketing in the modern era.

“Ever since the algorithm has been showing us things out of order, baby, there’s no way to successfully promote your album where everyone knows your album is coming,” she said.

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She continued, noting her gratitude for her core fan base, who have been supporting her new releases. But even through exclusive channels, Lizzo is having trouble reaching them. “I have a private page with over 280K people who follow me because they support me, because they love me. Even when I post on that page, I’m not hitting their algorithm.”

Lizzo’s last studio album was 2022’s Special, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Since then, she’s faced quite a few setbacks in her career.

In August 2023, her former backup dancers Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez filed lawsuits against her alleging sexual harassment, racial harassment and for creating a hostile work environment. Though some of the suits have been dismissed, Lizzo maintains her innocence in the bullying and harassment allegations against her, and recently spoke with Gayle King, saying she’s prepared to testify in court.

Last year, Lizzo attempted a comeback with the singles “Love in Real Life” and “Still Bad,” both of which were set to appear on the album Love in Real Life. Love in Real Life was eventually scrapped in favor of her rap mixtape My Face Hurts From Smiling.

b**chs is set to arrive on Friday, June 5.