Lizzo‘s fifth studio album, “B-TCH,” launched early this month, acquired a lukewarm response, making a difficult return to music for the Grammy-winning singer. Many are speculating concerning the album’s underwhelming efficiency, with some stating Lizzo’s involvement in an ongoing lawsuit in opposition to her former backup dancers.
Her main accusers are talking out about Lizzo’s newest album and the way it might have impacted her profession.
Lizzo’s new album, “B-TCH,” has struggled to match the success of her earlier releases, prompting some critics to explain it as a flop.
The album offered simply over 2,600 copies in its first week, together with 2.7 million on-demand streams, with gross sales plummeting to 650 models the second week. In distinction, her 2022 album, “Particular,” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, with 39,000 copies offered within the first week.
Whereas many components might have contributed to the album’s underwhelming efficiency, many imagine it’s partly resulting from Lizzo’s ongoing authorized battle along with her former dancers, Noelle Rodriguez, Arianna Davis, and Crystal Williams.
The three spoke with CNN, saying they’ve combined emotions concerning the trajectory of Lizzo’s profession. No matter their feelings, they declare their intention in submitting the lawsuit was to not “take down” Lizzo. “It was by no means an intention to take down a plus-size girl of shade particularly,” Rodriguez mentioned.
The Dancers Are Dedicated To Pursuing The Case
Lizzo’s former dancers say it isn’t their place to speak concerning the state of the singer’s profession. Talking on behalf of the group, Rodriguez mentioned, “I don’t actually assume it’s our place to debate and even have an opinion on how her profession goes at this level, when that wasn’t even our cause for submitting within the first place.”
In 2023, Rodriguez, Davis, and Williams filed a lawsuit in opposition to Lizzo and her manufacturing firm, claiming body-shaming, sexual harassment, and office hostility. The authorized battle remains to be ongoing.
Rodriguez added that the lawsuit wasn’t a “smear marketing campaign” in opposition to Lizzo. Somewhat, they need to maintain the singer accountable for the values she has constructed her public picture round.
“I believe if something, on reflection, I’ve truly had some unhappiness in the truth that it has impacted her profession,” Rodriguez mentioned.
Lizzo Has Persistently Denied The Allegations
In August 2023, Lizzo, dance captain Shirlene Quigley, and manufacturing firm Huge Grrrl Huge Touring, Inc. have been named in a lawsuit, by which Rodriguez, Davis, and Williams alleged they have been sexually harassed, labored in a hostile surroundings, and have been body-shamed, along with different allegations, equivalent to non secular and racial harassment, and false imprisonment.
Lizzo clapped again on the accusations, saying the claims have been “false” and “outrageous.” In 2024, she spoke about the controversy, saying she was “deeply damage” and utterly blindsided by the lawsuit. “These have been those that I preferred and appreciated as dancers, revered them as dancers. So I used to be like, ‘What?!’” Lizzo mentioned, adamantly denying all of the claims.
“The toughest half about all that is that none of this stuff have been true,” the singer mentioned.
What Stays Of The Dancers’ Lawsuit In opposition to The Singer?
In December 2025, a choose dismissed the dancers’ fat-shaming allegations from the lawsuit, which Lizzo thought-about a small win. “There was no proof I fired them as a result of they gained weight. They have been fired for taking a personal recording of me with out my consent and sending it off to ex-employees,” the singer famous.
Nonetheless, the vast majority of the lawsuit will nonetheless transfer ahead with the sexual harassment and hostile work surroundings claims. Lizzo is adamant about combating the case in court docket. In a video she posted on TikTok, the singer wrote that she doesn’t plan to settle and “shall be combating each single declare till the reality is out.”
The case is presently earlier than the California Courtroom of Enchantment, and each events are awaiting a court docket date for oral argument.
Lizzo Addressed Her Low Album Gross sales
On the “Proto Pop” podcast, the singer candidly talked concerning the lukewarm response to her newest album, admitting that she took it to coronary heart. “I believe that there was like, 24 hours of my life the place I primarily based my success and my price on a quantity. And I believe that was soul-crushing,” she defined.
Even earlier than the album’s launch, Lizzo took to social media, saying her document label, Atlantic Data, didn’t market it correctly. Furthermore, Lizzo cited the altering music panorama as one of many causes behind her album’s poor industrial efficiency.
Regardless of the challenges, Lizzo famous that she isn’t in a rush for folks to attach along with her music and believes “B-TCH” has a number of the “greatest stuff” she’s ever written.
