Pop R&B star Lizzo is still having career trouble.
In August 2023, Lizzo was sued by former employees for sexual, racial and religious harassment, assault, false imprisonment and disability discrimination, in addition to other allegations.
The plaintiffs — dancers and a make up stylist — managed to grab a lot of publicity especially since the overweight Lizzo — who celebrated women being comfortable with their size — was accused of weight shaming.
Immediately the singer’s record sales tanked.
She was dropped from one of the lawsuits in December 2024 but the harrasment suit continues.
Lizzo herself slimmed down, and two weeks ago she released the first of two new single, hoping for a comeback. So far that hasn’t materialized.
The first single “Love in Real Life,” tanked and disappeared after one week. It’s had 7.8 million views on YouTube. Total sales including streaming: only 29,266 according to Luminate.
Now the second one, released last Thursday night, has done the same. The feisty “Still Bad” has not made the iTunes chart at all. The single is being snubbed by all the fans who’d made Lizzo a household name.
“Still Bad” has only yielded 1.5 million YouTube views in five days.
Sometime soon, Lizzo says she’s releasing the “Love in Real Life” album. If her marketing approach doesn’t change she may wind up in the same boat as Katy Perry with her last album, i.e. dead in the water.
It’s all kind of stunning. Lizzo — real name Melissa Jefferson — was on top of the pop world until the lawsuits and allegations. In 2023, her song “About Damn Time” won Record of the Year, and her album “Special” was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album.
But two years later, it’s back the drawing board.