Lizzo clarifies her motive behind releasing latest album after it failed to chart

Lizzo just mentioned that many of the songs on her new album, Bitch, were not written in response to the public backlash against her, but rather about the breakup of a friendship “that was not public at all.”

The star behind mega hits such as Truth Hurts, failed to chart in the US or the UK with the new project, with the album selling just 2,649 copies in its first week of release.

Many critics interpreted several songs on the album, which came out last month and received largely negative reviews, as being in response to the controversy over a lawsuit that was filed against Lizzo, her production company, and her dance captain Shirlene Quigley in 2023 by three of her former backup dancers.

Their allegations included se*ual harassment, body shaming, and creating a hostile work environment. The trio’s accusations were supported by Lizzo’s ex-creative director, dancer and filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison, who claimed she witnessed “unkind and cruel” behaviour from the singer while collaborating on a documentary.

However, Lizzo has vehemently denied all the allegations against her; several of the claims, including weight-shaming, have been dismissed by a judge.

The case is ongoing, and the singer has stated that she intends to continue fighting in court. “I’m not afraid of the truth,” she told Gayle King on CBS Mornings. “The truth is less salacious than the headlines.”

Speaking to The Guardian in a cover feature for the publication’s Saturday Magazine, Lizzo said she was already having “these crazy revelations” about fame and success before the lawsuit was filed, and that critics were wrong to search every song for references to the allegations.

“What people don’t know is that most of the sad songs on this album are about a friendship breakup that was not public at all,” she said, singling out Like a Crime, addressed to a person who “broke my heart and stole my life”.

“That song is about a friend who I was very close with and I employed them and believed in them and they were extremely abusive and lied about me,” she said. “It was one of the hardest friendship breakups I’ve ever had. I really loved this person, and they secretly hated me and I don’t know why.”

Lizzo also claimed that the last time they spoke, the former friend said they were thinking of her and hoped “everything’s OK.”

“Then a year later they were on the internet talking about how horrible a person I am, and I was so confused because I was, like, ‘I thought we were good,’” she added. “That was the most hurtful thing I’ve experienced in a long time.”

Lizzo also clarified that the person in questions was not one of the dancers suing her, “This person has no legal claims; they just joined a hate train.”