Lizzo's new album debuts to shockingly low sales 3 years after backup dancer controversy

Joey NolfiWed, June 24, 2026 at 4:44 PM UTC

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Lizzo on the 'Today' show in June 2026Credit: NDZ/Star Max/GCKey Points -

Lizzo's new album, Bitch, debuted to catastrophically low sales.

The "About Damn Time" and "Truth Hurts" hitmaker's latest album released three years after a backup dancer controversy.

Lizzo's last album, Special, reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Unfortunately, as her signature No. 1 hit single indicates, the truth hurts when it comes to pop star Lizzo's new album sales.

Bitch debuted to catastrophic sales three years after she weathered misconduct allegations from former backup dancers that led to a legal case, portions of which a judge ultimately threw out amid Lizzo vehemently denying the accusations.

While Lizzo's 2022 album Special hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200, Bitch missed the publication's ranking altogether, though it did appear on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart at No. 46.

According to data provided to Entertainment Weekly by music industry data service Luminate, Bitch, which dropped June 5, moved 2,649 units in its first week of release — a number that fell to 650 across the LP's second full week of availability.

Those numbers are a far cry from numbers posted by Special, which debuted with approximately 69,000 in total units (including pure sales and streaming-equivalent numbers).

EW has reached out to Lizzo's record label for comment on the album's performance on the charts.

Despite Bitch's sales, the 38-year-old singer has amassed huge success in the music industry since her breakout with "Truth Hurts." Both that single and "About Damn Time" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

Lizzo has also notched other top 10 singles, including the Ariana Grande collaboration "Good as Hell" (No. 3) and "Rumors" featuring Cardi B (No. 4). Her 2019 album, Cuz I Love You, also hit No. 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

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The performer has won four Grammys throughout her career, as well as an MTV Video Music Award for the "About Damn Time" music video.

Lizzo's legal drama surfaced in 2023, when three backup dancers sued her over various claims, including allegations of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.

Lizzo in June 2026Credit: Noam Galai/Getty

Stefan Friedman, a representative for Lizzo at the time, provided a statement to EW pushing back against the allegations and referenced a judge dismissing portions of the suit, citing "wild personal attacks" against Lizzo and criticizing the dancers' legal reps.

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Lizzo has repeatedly denied the accusations, stating, "Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations, but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed. These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional."

In a New York Times interview last month tied to the release of Bitch, Lizzo addressed her standing with the public after the controversy.

"Everything that I have shown the world is me. And I think that always puts someone in a vulnerable position. I think pop stars have built a sort of protection of themselves, and they put the pop star character in the front. And then the real them gets to sit in the back. I never did that because I came from the indie world," she said. "This is who I am. I don't have anything to hide. I love myself. And the world loved me back for it. I think that the beauty of everything is that I get to evolve as a person, and I get to have more depth as a person, because it isn't always happy-go-lucky. And I feel like moving forward — it's kind of hard to talk about."

Bitch is out now. Watch the music video for the album's title track and "Don't Make Me Love U" above.

on Entertainment Weekly

Original Article on Source

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