Lizzo’s “Bitch” underperforms as her radio story sparks debate

Lizzo blames – Lizzo’s new album, “Bitch,” brought only 633,914 Spotify streams in its first 24 hours—far below the debut highs of her prior releases. In response to online backlash about her apparent pullback in popularity, Lizzo said the industry’s shift from radio to stre

When Lizzo dropped her new album “Bitch” on Friday, June 5, some fans expected momentum. Instead, the first day brought a jolt: the record drew just 633,914 streams on Spotify in its first 24 hours.

For Lizzo, the contrast is hard to ignore. Her previous two albums—2022’s “Special” and 2019’s “Cuz I Love You”—both opened high on the Billboard 200. debuting at No. 2 and No. 6 respectively. Those starts helped match the size of her cultural moment earlier in the decade. when her music didn’t just trend—it dominated.

Between 2020 and 2023. Lizzo won four Grammys and even earned an Emmy for her reality competition. “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.” Her single “Truth Hurts” had gone massively viral. propelling her into the spotlight. Now. with “Bitch” arriving into a different environment—and a visible drop in early streaming—attention has turned to why the tide feels like it’s turned.

That question exploded online after the album’s underwhelming debut. One viral post captured the confusion bluntly: “Lizzo not having a fanbase is so weird to me when this woman was literally selling out arenas not even 2 years ago. Like, where did those people go?”

Lizzo’s answer landed right in the middle of the debate, and it wasn’t just about one song. She wrote that the industry had changed over the last three years—specifically, that “streaming replaced radio & I was a radio darling,” adding, “That’s how my fans discovered my music.”

Then she pointed to something else—something rawer than charts. “The very obvious & public attack on my career changed things. ” she wrote. likely referencing the lawsuit filed in 2023 by three former backup dancers. The suit accuses Lizzo of harassment, discrimination, and assault, among other claims. Lizzo has denied the allegations, and the lawsuit remains ongoing.

Despite the criticism, Lizzo also leaned into the immediate numbers and her fanbase’s role in them. In another post. she wrote that she’s “never been a stream queen… but I ALWAYS been a HITMAKER.” She responded directly to “Bitch”’s first-day streaming total. thanking her fans and writing. “I’m so proud of us LIZZBIANS!”.

On the surface, her explanation seems to connect the dots: fewer radio-style discovery mechanisms, more streaming-driven discovery, and a public controversy that she says has altered her trajectory. The problem is that social media users aren’t accepting the story as neatly as she’s laid it out.

Some commenters argue the timing doesn’t line up. They point out that streaming had already surpassed radio as the most common way Americans listened to music as early as 2021. driven largely by Gen Z listening habits—earlier than the “last 3 yrs” framing suggests. And even if streaming is growing, they add that radio still matters in the real world of everyday listening. Nielsen. as of June 2026. noted that radio’s share of daily listening time has increased quarter over quarter. and that radio remains the most listened-to platform across all ad-supported audio for American adults.

What many users seem to land on is a more specific dispute: even if radio is still alive. Lizzo’s connection to it appears weaker than it used to be. Her earlier singles—“About Damn Time,” “Truth Hurts,” and “Good As Hell”—spent weeks topping Billboard’s Radio Songs chart. But none of her releases since 2023 have appeared on that chart at all, including any tracks from “Bitch.”.

There’s a tight set of facts sitting underneath this argument: “Bitch” is starting lower on Spotify; Lizzo says the shift from radio to streaming and a public attack on her career changed fan discovery; and Billboard Radio Songs performance since 2023 doesn’t show the same presence as before. With each element in place. the question isn’t whether one explanation fits—it’s why the numbers. the industry shift. and the radio footprint don’t point in a single direction for everyone watching.

For now. Lizzo’s claim keeps the spotlight on a business reality behind pop music: discovery platforms shape careers. controversies can change audience behavior. and fan attention is never just about talent—sometimes it’s about where listeners are looking. And as “Bitch” continues to settle into the market. the argument over what “replaced” what—and what was broken along the way—won’t quiet down.

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