Lizzo's Bitch album has been left feeling flat-footed in both the UK and US charts, failing to make a top 100 impression two weeks on from its June 5 release. The chart-topping chasm is all the more astonishing given the singer's previous successes – but for now, it seems Bitch has been dealt a major blow.
The stark contrast between Lizzo's latest effort and her earlier albums is undeniable. Her 2022 album Special hit an impressive Number Two on the US albums chart and reached a respectable Number Six in the UK, thanks in part to global hits like 'About Damn Time' (Number One in the US) and '2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)' which snagged a top 20 spot in the UK. Meanwhile, her major-label debut Cuz I Love You from 2019 reached Number Four in the US and Number 30 in the UK, powered by the chart-topping success of 'Truth Hurts'.
The critical consensus on Bitch has been lukewarm at best. Review aggregator Metacritic shows a meagre 50 per cent score based on seven reviews – a far cry from the accolades she's received in the past. Publications like Rolling Stone have panned the album for its 'tired moves and cynical appeals to the streaming algorithm', while The Telegraph described it as being 'in desperate search of a hit'. Even The Guardian noted the disjointed nature of the album, resulting from what they called Lizzo's 'scatter-gun approach'.
Lizzo herself has responded to the chart slump by placing blame on the broader changes in the music industry. In a statement, she drew attention to her shift away from radio – once her primary platform for fan discovery – towards streaming services, and even hinted at 'very obvious & public attack[s]' on her career as another contributing factor. She has also previously voiced concerns about what she sees as 'racist' and 'fatphobic' algorithms on social media, which she claims hinder album promotion by not displaying content in chronological order.
The chart woes come against a backdrop of significant success for Lizzo – including an arena tour that sold out two nights at London's O2 and a show-stopping performance on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2023. However, recent years have also seen her embroiled in controversy, including a lawsuit filed by former backup dancers alleging sexual harassment and a hostile work environment, which Lizzo has repeatedly denied as a 'fabricated sob story'.