Lizzo released her third studio album, “B-TCH,” on June 5, 2026. Sadly, the new LP not only failed to deliver any significant hits but also missed the Billboard Top 200 album chart altogether, selling under 3,000 copies in its first week. Now, the “Truth Hurts” singer is opening up about the failure as she begins recording new music.
Lizzo appeared on an episode of the “Proto Pop” podcast in June 2026. In a clip released ahead of the full interview, the host, Zachary, also known as The Swiftologist, asked the singer how she would describe the state of her career amid the release of “B-TCH.”
She said, “I think right now, dropping the album, I took it to heart really, really heavily.” From there, Lizzo went on to share her “non-PR” response, saying, “I hurt my own feelings, and I was really stressed, and I was really sad for a few days because I just was like, ‘Wait a minute, this is like some of my best stuff.’”
From there, the songstress discussed being forced to “come to terms” with the fact that the music industry landscape has changed “in the last three years.” She added, “But also, my relationship and my connection musically with the world is different, and I think I kind of had to mourn that.”
Lizzo Knew Her Album Might Struggle Three Weeks Before Its Release
The interview continued as Zachary mentioned Lizzo’s social media posts in which she claimed her record label, Atlantic Records, wasn’t promoting her album properly. Regarding the promotion for the music, she stated, “I kind of like took control a little bit.”
After that, she reflected on the attention she had received in the past when announcing new music and compared it to the reception of “B-TCH.” Specifically, she mentioned presales and presaves for the album. However, this time around, three weeks before the album’s release, she learned that the presaves on streaming platforms were far lower than expected.
She recalled her reaction, saying, “Let me go full force, and I went out, and I was hanging up posters, and I was talking to people, and I was connecting.”
Lizzo then said about the album sales, “And I had all of these high hopes for what we would do the first week, and it didn’t match. I was so excited because I met my presave goal and then it dropped, and I was like, ‘Oh, okay, this isn’t what I kind of thought it would be.’”
In reflecting on the days after the album was released, Lizzo noted, “24 hours of my life where I based my success and my worth on a number, and I think that was soul-crushing.” Toward the end of the clip, she revealed that SZA had called to check on her and asked her fellow singer, “Am I a failure?”
Fans Are Weighing In
Following Lizzo’s comments about the failure of her latest album, fans are sharing their opinions. In many cases, the “Truth Hurts” singer is receiving support, with many social media users acknowledging that most musicians experience failed projects at some point in their careers. However, others say she’s dodging blame, claiming her new music isn’t up to par.
One person said, “I love that she’s brave enough to talk about this.” Another social media user observed, “More people liked this video than bought the album.” Someone else stated, “It has nothing to do with the radio, Lizzo. The music is not good.”
Lastly, a different person wrote, “Love her, but I feel like she doesn’t take accountability for the music not being up to par and instead blames it on changes in the music industry/radio?”
How Many Copies Did The Album Sell?
Given that Lizzo’s “B-TCH” missed the Billboard Top 200 chart, the exact number of albums she sold wasn’t immediately clear. It was initially understood that the album moved under 5,000 units. However, Rolling Stone UK confirmed that the album sold only 2,500 copies in its first week.
For comparison, according to Entertainment Weekly, her previous album, 2022’s “Special,” sold 69,000 total album equivalent units. It debuted at number two on the Billboard Top 200 chart.
Lizzo Recently Confirmed She’s In The Studio
Lizzo took to her private TikTok page, LizzoIRL, on June 19 to confirm that she had returned to the studio. She did so by posting a clip of herself standing behind a microphone, with what appears to be a new song playing in the background. She used a text overlay that read, “Making new sh-t.”
After that, she responded to fans, insisting that the “B-TCH” era had not ended and that more promotional efforts were on the horizon.