Lizzo is facing major mockery online after her comeback album, “B-tch,” underperformed at release and failed to crack the Billboard 200.
The Grammy-winning singer has spoken up about her recent struggles in the industry, citing her label’s alleged unwillingness to promote her, changes in how fans consume music, and a shift in public opinion following disturbing allegations from her former backup dancers.
Several Hollywood executives have also weighed in on the album’s dismal performance, with some suggesting that Lizzo lacks a strong core fanbase.
Just four years ago, Lizzo was one of the industry’s biggest names, especially after her 2022 album “Special” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
After exploding onto the scene in 2019, she went on to deliver major hits like “About Damn Time” and “Truth Hurts,” picking up four Grammy wins along the way.
However, she has struggled to replicate that success, as her highly anticipated new album, “B-tch,” released on June 5, 2026, via Atlantic Records, suffered a major commercial setback.
According to data from Luminate, the album sold just 2,649 copies in its opening week and pulled in fewer than 2.7 million on-demand streams, per Rolling Stone.
Things declined further in the second week, with album sales dropping to 650 units and streams dipping to just under 900,000. It was a far cry from her 2022 project, which debuted with 39,000 copies sold and 69,000 equivalent album units earned.
Most surprisingly, “B-tch” failed to crack the Billboard 200, making it a major commercial disappointment compared to her previous hits.
Fans Mock The Singer As Album Struggles To Connect
Social media users are having a field day deriding Lizzo, with many sharing why they believe the album flopped.
“Well, this is what happens when you build a career solely on sensation and not your musical talent,” an X user wrote. “She lost weight, and in the people’s eyes, the only thing interesting about her was gone.”
“Her gimmick fell off. Big girl empowerment is out of style right now,” someone else suggested, while another said, “This is new levels of flopping omg she has her own floor in the Khia asylum.”
One user penned, “How does she not realize she’s been canceled? Those lawsuits and allegations definitely turned people against her. You are doing body positivity, but abusing other women(allegedly) when women are your major base. It’s hard to come back from that.”
Industry Insiders Question Lizzo’s Fanbase
Industry insiders have offered a number of reasons why the “Juice” rapper appears to be struggling to regain momentum.
Among the issues raised were concerns that she never had a strong core fanbase and that there is a current shift from traditional radio consumption to streaming platforms.
“I think the biggest reason is that she never had a core fanbase,” a former senior label executive told Rolling Stone. “She was a very song-driven, radio-hits-driven artist who lacked a core fanbase, and that’s what you need today for career longevity.”
Lizzo Blames Industry Shifts For Album Struggles
Lizzo herself appeared to address that suspicion when she replied to an X post asking where all the people who were buying tickets to her shows barely two years ago had gone.
“I actually can answer this: the industry changed so much in the last 3 yrs. streaming replaced radio & I was a radio darling. That’s how my fans discovered my music. Not to mention the very obvious & public attack on my career changed things,” she wrote on the popular social media platform.
The singer added, “But I’m out here doing my absolute best, and u can’t knock a b-tch for that.”
Lawsuit Remains A Shadow Over Musician’s Comeback
However, some critics refused to give her a pass for the excuse. Industry pundit Ray Daniels told Rolling Stone that he believes she did not take enough responsibility and could have, slowly but surely, guided her fans on how to find her in the new world of streaming platforms.
“I speak like a manager, that’s all BS to me,” Daniels said. “If you know that the industry is changing, you should be warning your fans ahead of time. Why are you not telling your fans to request your song on radio? They’re your fans, they’ll do what you ask them to do.”
Meanwhile, others suggested that her legal battle with three former backup dancers, in which she was accused of fostering a toxic work environment and sexual harassment, may also have affected her.
“A big part of her brand was being the underdog and being very self-confident, I am who I am, I support everyone, body positivity,” the former senior label exec noted. “And when you’re called to task for the mistreatment of exactly what you held out as being your, quote-unquote, brand, then fans don’t wanna see you win anymore, and they desert you.”
