Lizzo’s “Bitch” album sales have sparked online discussion after the new release saw a lower-than-expected Billboard debut, with fans reacting to the album’s performance across social media.
The album, released through Atlantic Records, reportedly earned less than 2.7 million streams in its first week. It debuted at No. 46 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart and No. 15 on the Indie Store Album Sales chart, but failed to make the Billboard 200. By its second week, the project had reportedly fallen to around 650 units sold and fewer than 900,000 streams.
The numbers stand in sharp contrast to the Lizzo’s last studio album, Special, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in 2022 with 69,000 equivalent album units. That era was entertained by massive hits like “About Damn Time,” which helped turn Lizzo into one of pop music’s biggest names.
As the album’s chart performance became a topic online, Lizzo addressed the situation in an emotional TikTok video. The singer said she felt like people were “clowning” her and turning the album into a joke.
Many fans noticed that large meme pages and entertainment accounts that rarely discuss music were suddenly covering the story. Some supporters questioned whether the attention was less about reporting the news and more about profiting from negative engagement.
The conversation around Bitch has gone beyond sales, with some social media users turning Lizzo’s album performance into a meme. Some have started using “Lizzo” as a replacement term for “Khia,” referencing the singer Khia, who has long been used in internet culture as an example of a viral “flop” or failed comeback.
The joke follows a pattern on social media where artists with disappointing releases become attached to a name or phrase that represents a commercial decline, turning chart struggles into a running meme.
Whether Bitch can gain momentum in the coming weeks remains unclear. For now, the album’s commercial struggles have become almost as talked about as the music itself.
Keep up with Cultify for the latest news in entertainment and pop culture!