Grammy-winning artist Lizzo is speaking candidly about the commercial underperformance of her latest album, describing the experience as a moment that forced her to reevaluate how she measures success. The singer admitted feeling blindsided when "Bitch" failed to gain the traction she had anticipated following its June 5 release.

In a recent interview on the "Proto Pop" podcast, Lizzo revealed she had high expectations after meeting her pre-save goals. "I was so excited 'cause I met my pre-save goal," she said. "And then it dropped and I was like, 'Oh, OK, this isn't what I kind of thought it would kind of be.'" The numbers told a stark story. According to music data company Luminate, the album sold approximately 3,000 units in its first week, plummeting to roughly 650 in week two. This marks a dramatic decline from her 2022 album "Special," which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 39,000 units sold .

The singer confessed that the disappointing figures briefly took a toll on her self-esteem. "There was like, 24 hours of my life where I based my success and my worth on a number," Lizzo shared. "And I think that was soul-crushing." She described spending several days feeling stressed and genuinely sad, questioning whether the project—which she considers some of her best work—would ever find its audience .

A timely phone call from fellow artist SZA helped shift her perspective. Lizzo recalled asking her friend, "Am I a failure?"—a question SZA quickly dismissed. The conversation prompted Lizzo to meditate and reframe her thinking. "This is why I don't judge myself and my success or my impact on numbers," she explained. "This is why I don't do that, because it's soul-crushing if you do" .

Despite the setback, Lizzo remains resilient and is already back in the studio working on new material. She acknowledged that the music industry has shifted significantly in recent years and that her connection with audiences has evolved. Rather than viewing the album as a failure, she called it "a stepping stone in the right direction" and affirmed her commitment to her artistic path. "I had to course correct my destiny and my career," she said. "I will never let that happen" .