From Lizzo to Julia Fox, stars share the Vanity Fair party vibe
See what the stars were saying at the Vanity Fair party, from Lizzo saying she thought it was “awesome” to Julia Fox saying it was her best work yet.
Video Team – USA TODAY Entertainment
Lizzo is reacting to a painful truth. Her new album is a huge failure.
In an interview with Swiftologist magazine, released on June 28, the “About Dumb Time” singer, 38, reflected on the lackluster sales of her latest album, “Bitch,” which was released on June 5. He said that although he put a lot of effort into promoting the album in the weeks before its release, the album’s reception still fell short of his expectations.
“It dropped and I thought, ‘Oh, okay, this is not what I thought it would be,'” she said. “I didn’t think it was going to be crazy, but I didn’t think it was going to turn out like this. There was a time in my life where I was basing my success and my worth on numbers for about 24 hours. I think it was soul-crushing.”
According to Rolling Stone, “Bitch,” the follow-up to Lizzo’s award-winning 2022 album “Special,” sold just 2,649 copies in its first week, a significant drop from “Special’s” debut of 39,000 copies.
“Bitch” also failed to chart on the Billboard 200, but “Special” reached number two. The lead single from “Special”, “About Dumb Time”, reached No. 1 and won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
Lizzo says music has a different ‘connection’ after former dancer’s lawsuit
In an interview with Swiftologist, Lizzo said she “meditated” and “prayed” for the album’s release, but realized she shouldn’t judge “my success or the impact on the numbers.” Doing so is because “your soul will be crushed.”
“I had to rethink and think, ‘But aren’t you proud of yourself?’ And I thought, ‘Oh, I’m actually proud of myself.’ Aren’t you excited to sing these songs? Aren’t you glad they’re gone? “Yeah. “
The “Truth Hurts” singer also said she takes the poor sales “really, really seriously” as she is happy with her new music.
“I was really stressed out and really sad for a few days because I was like, ‘Wait a minute. This is some of my best work. I want people to find it,'” she said, adding that she “had to accept the fact” that her “musical connection to the world” was different than before.
“Bitch” marks the fifth studio album for Lizzo, who has been a radio staple since reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019 with “Truth Hurts.”
The LP was Lizzo’s first studio album released since 2023, when she faced workplace misconduct lawsuits from former dancers accusing her of assault, false imprisonment and sexual harassment. Lizzo has repeatedly and strongly denied the charges, and a civil lawsuit is ongoing.
As legal battle continues, Lizzo is ‘taking back who she is’ with new music
On X earlier this month, Lizzo responded to a post saying she no longer has a “fan base.” The singer blamed this on the fact that “streaming replaced radio and I was the darling of radio,” and also wrote of the 2023 lawsuit that “a very clear public attack on my career changed the game.”
In an interview with USA TODAY ahead of the release of “Bitch,” the Grammy winner said the new record is “reclaiming who I am.”
“So much of my identity has been manipulated by people other than me. So this album is me reclaiming that. Showing the Lizzo we all know and love, letting her tell her side of the story, and just having her perform again,” she said.
Contributors: Morgan Hynes, Naledi Uche and melissa ruggeri
