Lizzo reflects on 'soul-crushing' 'Bitch' album sales after chart disappointment

Lizzo has opened up about the disappointing commercial performance of her latest album, Bitch, admitting that its release initially left her feeling "soul-crushing" disappointment before she reassessed how she measures success.

Speaking during an interview released June 28, the Grammy-winning singer reflected on the reception to her fifth studio album, which was released on June 5.

Lizzo said she had increased promotional efforts in the weeks leading up to the album's release but was surprised by its commercial performance.

"It dropped, and I was like, 'Oh, OK, this isn't what I thought it would be,'" she said. "I didn't think it would be crazy, but I also didn't think it would be this. There was, like, 24 hours of my life where I based my success and my worth on a number, and I think that was soul-crushing."

According to figures cited by Rolling Stone, Bitch sold 2,649 copies during its first week, a significant drop from the 39,000 copies recorded by her 2022 album Special.

Lizzo said she later reflected on the experience through meditation and prayer, deciding she could no longer judge her career solely by commercial figures.

"I had to reframe and be like, 'But aren't you proud of yourself?' And I was like, 'Yeah, I actually am proud of myself.' Aren't you excited to sing these songs? Aren't you glad they're out?' Yeah."

She added that she had taken the album's performance "really, really, heavily" because she believes the record contains some of her strongest work.

"I was really stressed and I was really sad for a few days, because I just was like, 'Wait a minute. This is some of my best stuff. I want people to find it,'" she said.

The singer also acknowledged that she has had to accept that her "connection, musically, with the world is different" than it once was.

Bitch is Lizzo's first studio album since former dancers filed a workplace misconduct lawsuit against her in 2023, alleging assault, false imprisonment and sexual harassment. Lizzo has repeatedly denied the allegations, and the civil case remains ongoing.

Ahead of the album's release, Lizzo told USA TODAY that the project represented her reclaiming her identity after a challenging period.

"A lot of my identity has been manipulated by people outside of me, so this album is me taking that back − showing the Lizzo everybody knows and loves, letting her tell her side of the story and just letting her play again," she said.