One of pop music’s most vibrant and unpredictable elements – Lizzo’s story – has once again surprised the industry. The last few years have seen the Grammy-winning artist, a body-positive anthem queen and a chart-dominating force, undergo a return as the first week sales of her new album Bitch were so low that the industry is abuzz. Per Luminate, the album released on June 5 through Atlantic Records sold only 2,649 pure copies and had less than 2.7 million on-demand streams. Besides, it did not enter the Billboard 200 chart at all – a complete reversal from her 2022 breakthrough Special which opened at No. 2 with nearly 40,000 copies sold.
This may be a worrying moment for those who know the whole story of Lizzo from the underground rap artist to the global superstar. Empowerment, joy, and unapologetic self-love have been the themes of her music. More than songs, hits like “”About Damn Time”” and “”Good as Hell”” were cultural rallying cries. Bitch was expected to be a triumphant return by many after a four-year break full of personal challenges, legal issues, and public scrutiny. The numbers But narrate a story of changing tides in the music industry and probably the audience becoming more fragmented.
What’s the point? Several factors have been highlighted by industry insiders. Lizzo has been under serious fire in recent times, In particular, the allegations from former employees that have given the public a complex view. Though she has made efforts to cleanse her image and come up with new songs, it has not been a smooth ride reconnecting with the original fans. Although the album promotion did happen, it might not have made enough of an impact in the streaming world that is dominated by algorithms, where going viral sometimes eclipses conventional marketing.
Lizzo used to be all over – performing at award shows, Super Bowl, and being on the radio constantly. But holding onto that kind of momentum after being away for a while is really hard. Music changes at a lightning speed and four years is like an eternity in pop. The new artists have brought in fresh sounds while streaming preferences have shifted towards constant releases instead of the big album drops. Bitch reached only No. 46 in the Top Album Sales chart debut which is her lowest for a project in that category. In the second week, sales had dropped to almost 650 units.
Yet, this is not the overall aspect of Lizzo’s effect in the music industry. Her work and influence go way beyond the first-week sales figure. Stream her back catalogue they do and her live participation Lizzo fans have not deserted. With her music, she has always been a voice for the underrepresented and the ones struggling with mental health. As yet the album itself has seen quite a few reviews that range from appreciative to critical where some review it as special while others draw a comparison to her peak that was characterized by hits.
On the album release day, Lizzo took to Twitter and encouraged fans to embrace “women with vaginas and penises, and all iterations in between, dragon energy, mermaid energy, any kind of energy you like, it’s all valid.” The artist has been quite open about how she feels about the music industry and the pressure that it exerts. In a number of recent talks, she has made reference to label support issues and the difficulty of fame at the social media age. Not for nothing is she called resilient – she has had hurdles before and shown herself able to change. Be it through new singles, tours, or personal projects, the door is open for her voice which quite a few still want to listen to.
