Lizzo is speaking candidly about the commercial performance of her new album, B*TCH, and the criticism she says followed her efforts to promote the project. In a new TikTok response, the Grammy-winning artist reacted to a fan urging her to push the album harder, revealing the difficult position she feels she has been placed in throughout the rollout.
The exchange began when a fan commented, “Baby, promote this album!!! It’s so good!! Do not let this new album die!!!” Lizzo responded directly with a video explaining that promotion itself had become a source of backlash.
“Okay, I promoted my album and people on the internet clown me for it, so I don’t know what to do,” she said. “I promoted my album super hard and people were calling me a desperate flop. So, I don’t know, guys.”
The comments arrive as B*TCH faces a challenging commercial start. According to Luminate data, the album sold 2,649 copies in its opening week and did not secure a place on the Billboard 200. In its second week, sales reportedly fell to 650 copies.
Released on June 5 through Nice Life and Atlantic Records, B*TCH marks Lizzo’s fifth studio album and her first full-length release since 2022’s Special. The project was co-written and co-produced alongside longtime collaborator Ricky Reed, with additional contributions from Blake Slatkin, Pop Wansel, Cheche Alara, and Nate Mercereau. Across its tracklist, Lizzo blends pop, hip-hop, R&B, synth-funk, and soul while exploring themes of empowerment, vulnerability, and personal growth.
The rollout has unfolded against a backdrop of broader industry conversations that Lizzo has addressed repeatedly in recent weeks. Earlier this month, she responded to a discussion on X about her changing commercial fortunes, arguing that shifts in music consumption have fundamentally altered how artists reach audiences.
“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,” she wrote. “Not to mention the very obvious & public attack on my career changed things. But I’m out here doing my absolute best and u can’t knock a b— for that.”
Her frustrations have also extended to social media platforms. Days before the album’s release, Lizzo criticized modern algorithms, suggesting that even dedicated followers often struggle to see artists’ content. In separate posts and videos, she argued that digital platforms now play a major role in determining which releases gain visibility, making album promotion increasingly difficult.
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