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Photo Credit: Raph_PH \/ CC by 2.0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Lizzo\u2019s latest album, Bitch<\/em>, is out now via Atlantic\/WMG, and it\u2019s a flop. That\u2019s especially clear compared to the former pop darling\u2019s previous efforts when she seemed to appear on every radio station and stage just a few short years ago.<\/p>\n According to Luminate stats shared with Digital Music News, total first-week units clocked in at less than 3,000\u2014not 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\u2019s second week, those numbers slumped well below 1 million on the streaming front and under 700 units.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n And the artist definitely thinks that controversy is to blame for her lackluster sales. She replied to a post on X<\/a> (formerly Twitter) that questioned why didn\u2019t have fans showing up for her after she \u201cwas literally selling out arenas not even 2 years ago,\u201d asserting that \u201cthe industry changed so much in the last 3 years.\u201d<\/p>\n While it might seem odd to blame the pivot from radio to streaming in only the last three years, there\u2019s certainly truth in that Lizzo\u2019s legal controversy alienated a lot of fans<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHer whole brand was built on body positivity, but that image has taken a huge hit due to the lawsuit,\u201d wrote one commenter on Reddit.<\/p>\n Another fan said they believed it wasn\u2019t just the lawsuit that hurt Lizzo\u2019s body positivity brand, but her own weight loss\u2014and the weight loss of many of her fans in the post-COVID GLP-1 medication boom.<\/p>\n \u201cI enjoyed her music a lot, particularly when I was a lot bigger. I related to her confidence along with her size. [\u2026] Honestly I\u2019d say it was her primary market because we did not see ourselves represented a lot in music,\u201d they explained. \u201cLizzo herself has lost a lot of weight. [\u2026] but it was her brand for a long time. [\u2026] There\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Others in the pop music scene claim the new album just isn\u2019t very good, and its title makes it unapproachable.<\/p>\n \u201cBitch<\/em> is a terrible name for an album, mostly that it actively deters people from listening to it. Siri literally calls it \u2018beep\u2019 when played,\u201d another person explained.<\/p>\n \u201cShe can blame it on changes in the cultural landscape or whatever, but the music is just mediocre,\u201d wrote one critic. \u201cAnd her pivot to songs about being bitter isn\u2019t really hitting.\u201d<\/p>\n 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 \u201creal\u201d promo campaign.<\/p>\n Sources tell DMN<\/em> 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I\u2019m out here doing my absolute best,\u201d Lizzo wrote on the former Twitter. \u201cAnd you can\u2019t knock a bitch for that.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\u201cStreaming replaced radio, and I was a radio darling. That\u2019s how my fans discovered my music,\u201d Lizzo wrote. \u201cNot to mention the very obvious and public attack on my career changed things.\u201d<\/h4>\n
Some fans also noted that Lizzo\u2019s recent (and lucrative) Chili\u2019s spot<\/a> 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\u2019t sitting well with some fans.<\/h4>\n