Lizzo's camp is likely emphasizing the album's standout tracks like 'Sexy Ladies,' calling it a bold artistic statement with 'tired moves' being reframed as fearless experimentation.
Insiders whisper that Lizzo's legal battles left her creatively drained. The title track's lyrics about losing followers read like damage control, not genuine artistry — she's fighting the algorithm, not making music she loves.
Rolling Stone gave 'Bitch' a 6/10 score, calling it 'tired and dry.' Lizzo previously told Keke Palmer (late 2024) that her lawsuits taught her 'healthy boundaries,' yet this album is obsessed with settling scores. The title track interpolates Meredith Brooks' 1997 hit — not exactly fresh territory.
Lizzo's 'Bitch' feels less like a triumphant return and more like a desperate grasp at relevance in an industry that's moved on without her.
Well, well, well. Lizzo is back with a new album called Bitch, and the reception? Let's just say it's giving... not great.
Rolling Stone's review of the album dropped Monday, and reviewer Jason Renaud isn't pulling punches. The outlet gave 'Bitch' a score of 6 out of 10 — barely passing, certainly not the kind of number that hangs on your wall. According to the review, the album is 'full of tired moves and cynical appeals to the streaming algorithm,' with Lizzo's signature biting feistiness sounding 'curdled.' Ouch.
This is a steep fall from grace for the Minneapolis-via-Houston artist who dominated 2019 with her third album Cuz I Love You and the chart-topping single 'Truth Hurts,' which hit Number One that year. Back then, Lizzo was unstoppable — a flute-playing, body-positive icon who seemed genuinely untouchable. She even took home Record of the Year at the Grammys for 'About Damn Time' from her 2022 album Special.
But since then? Drama after drama. The lawsuits are the elephant in the room that Rolling Stone barely dances around.
Three former backup dancers sued Lizzo for harassment, and a wardrobe stylist filed separate claims — all of which she strongly denied. She's been fighting them in court while trying to rebuild her public image. When she told Keke Palmer in late 2024 that the experience taught her 'healthy boundaries,' many raised an eyebrow.
Now with Bitch? That narrative feels even more strained. The album title itself is a statement — and not necessarily a clever one, according to critics.
The review notes it interpolates Meredith Brooks' strummy 1997 alt-rock hit of the same name while taking inspiration from former collaborator Missy Elliott. But Rolling Stone calls it 'a grab for Nineties alt-adult fans' algorithms rather than a standalone statement.' Lizzo herself acknowledged shifting industry tides on X, formerly Twitter: 'The industry changed so much in the last 3 yrs. streaming replaced radio & I was a radio darling. That's how my fans discovered my music.' Translation: she's scrambling to adapt.
There are bright spots — Rolling Stone does single out 'Sexy Ladies' as a potential 'song of the summer,' noting her transformation of D.C. go-go band UCB's 2022 track into a 'triumphant' anthem. The bluesy 'Whose Hair Is This' showcases what the review calls Lizzo's 'sheer vocal power.' But even those moments are undercut by lazy tricks, like the recurring 'last-minute undermining of the song's premise' that starts to feel like a crutch rather than wit.
The real tea? Last year's tossed-off mixtape My Face Hurts From Smiling felt 'playful and energized,' per Rolling Stone. Bitch, the 'proper album' meant to prove something?
It feels exhausted. The Katt Williams defense drop — 'They came after Lizzo, and she is unproblematic' — plays more like cope than confidence. And closing with the sunshine-bright 'Goodmorning' after three tracks of barely-contained rage?
The review invokes 'toxic positivity,' and honestly, that lands. Lizzo's middle-finger gesture on the album cover might be her most honest moment in this entire rollout.
