Singer Lizzo has been making headlines after her latest album, “B-TCH,” failed to chart on the Billboard 200. The “Truth Hurts” singer, whose real name is Melissa Jefferson, recently opened up about the project’s disappointing performance on a podcast, citing several factors she believes contributed to its lackluster showing. However, many on social media weren’t buying her explanation, with some arguing the album flopped simply because they don’t think she’s a good artist.
On the “Swiftologist” podcast, Lizzo implied she was confused by the album’s disappointing chart performance because she believed she had released some of her “best” work.
“Dropping the album, I took it to heart really, really heavily,” she said, adding that she “hurt my own feelings” and “was really stressed” after releasing “B-TCH.”
She went on to say that she recently had to “come to terms” with changes in the music industry, including radio play, as well as with her “connection” with the world. “And I think I had to kind of mourn that,” she said.
Lizzo Was Concerned About Her Album Sales Before She Even Released The Project
Prior to her album’s release, Lizzo opened up about her fears that the project would “flop,” according to a previous report from The Blast.
The singer said that she believed she was being washed out of social media algorithms and even questioned why she wasn’t getting more support from her record label.
“Baby, I’m asking the same question because I definitely approved the billboards in the marketing meetings. I definitely approved ads, but crickets,” she said in response to a fan. “I don’t know, but I’m crashing out on my label right now because I just really like – I feel like there’s not any marketing money being put toward my ideas.”
Lizzo Says She Tried To Take Matters Into Her Own Hands Weeks Before Her Album Was Released
On the podcast, Lizzo said that because she wasn’t getting the support from her label that she thought she deserved, she took matters into her own hands.
“I went out and I was hanging up posters and I was talking to people and I was connecting, and it was really, really fun,” she said. “I had so much fun, y’all. Like, ‘oh, my God, I feel like 2019 Lizzo again.’ And then I had all of these high hopes for what we would do the first week, and it didn’t match.”
Lizzo’s candid remarks failed to win over many social media users. Instead, critics pushed back on her explanation, arguing that the music industry’s ever-changing landscape wasn’t to blame for the album’s disappointing performance.
“I genuinely think she’s downplaying the lawsuits and it’s bothering me that she’s blaming the music industry being different,” someone wrote on X.
“Yeah, this fall off isn’t normal,” another user wrote. “I don’t listen to her enough to know if this is her best stuff or not, but I do know her new album is pretty solid. It’s not a quality problem; it seems like it’s just a Lizzo problem. Your character and brand matter. Her’s took a big hit.”
A third user chimed in, saying, “A project you put out called ‘B-TCH’ is certainly not some of your best stuff, let’s be serious.”
And another seemed to agree, posting, “It’s not some of her best work, though. It sounds messy, ill-focused, cheaply produced, horrible visuals. Take the L, grow sonically and get back in the booth.”
How Did The Album Really Perform?
According to a Rolling Stone report, Lizzo’s latest project sold 2,649 copies in its first week and pulled in under 2.7 million streams. The album was projected to sell only 650 copies the following week and to have under 900,000 streams. It’s a stark difference from her last album, “Special,” which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 after selling 39,000 copies in its first week.
A Rolling Stone staffer shared their thoughts on the state of Lizzo’s career, saying that the album’s performance is due to the singer never having a “core fanbase.” They added, “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.”
