Lizzo Reflects on ‘Soul-Crushing’ Commercial Performance of New Album

Grammy Award-winning artist Lizzo is opening up about the commercial struggles of her latest studio album, describing the project’s lack of chart success as a “soul-crushing” experience that forced her to reevaluate her personal worth. The singer’s new record, titled “Btch,” failed to crack the Billboard 200 albums chart following its June 5 release, marking a significant departure from the commercial dominance of her previous work.

Navigating Commercial Expectations

The performance of “Btch” represents a sharp decline from her 2022 effort, “Special,” which debuted at No. 2 on the charts with 69,000 equivalent album units in its first week. In a candid interview with Zachary Hourihane, known as the Swiftologist, the “About Damn Time” singer admitted that while she met her initial pre-save goals, the actual release did not meet her expectations. She revealed that she spent a full day internalizing the data as a personal failure. “I think that there was, like, 24 hours of my life where I based my success and my worth on a number,” Lizzo said. “And I think that was soul-crushing.”

Resilience and Future Outlook

Industry data indicates that “Btch” moved 2,649 pure copies during its debut week, totaling approximately 5,000 album-equivalent units. This marks the first time a project from the artist has failed to chart since 2015’s “Big Grrrl Small World.” Reflecting on the changing landscape of the music industry, Lizzo noted that her connection with the global audience has shifted significantly over the last three years. Despite the low sales figures, she expressed a sense of resilience and indicated she is already preparing to return to the studio.

The artist concluded that the experience has helped her move past a fear of commercial rejection. “I’m not afraid of failure anymore because I’ve already won,” she stated. “And I think that’s something that the general public may not believe or understand about me.” While the reception was undoubtedly stressful, she remains confident in the quality of the work, describing the new tracks as some of her best material to date.