6 days ago
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Lizzo is taking aim at her critics as her so-called comeback album tanks on the charts.
Speaking to the LA Times, the 38-year-old said that the criticism she's received in recent years has to do with her gender and race – not her music or behavior.
'I think that most of the criticisms and dislike for me are fatphobic and racist and sexist,' she said.
'It's the fact that I'm a fat black woman and I'm existing outside the parameters in which society thinks I should exist,' she continued.
'I've always been a little too much — that's my personality. But I'm like, Am I too much or are you not enough? I'd rather be annoying than invisible.'
The star, who hasn't had a hit single in years, also claimed that she 'doesn't need' to release hits anymore because she's already been so successful.
Lizzo says that most of the criticism she receives is 'fatphobic and racist and sexist'
'Haters try to talk about charts, and I’m like, "Girl, I did that." So once you’ve done it, now it’s like, what actually makes me happy? What do I really want to do?' she said.
And despite having only released two hit albums – 2019's Cuz I Love You and 2022's Special – Lizzo still likened herself to the industry's biggest female stars, like Mariah Carey.
'I’m a diva — I am — and I feel like divas are a dying breed,' she said.
'A talented, confident, beautiful woman who’s a bit of a flirt — from the Dolly Partons to the Mariah Careys to the Whitney Houstons, that’s where I’m at.'
Lizzo released her fifth studio album, Bitch, last week following a string of flop singles.
The first two singles from the project, Love In Real Life and Still Bad, both failed to chart and were left off the album, while the two most recent singles, Don't Make Me Love U and Bitch, have also tanked.
On top of that, her new Scary Movie soundtrack single Hoes with rapper Sexyy Red flopped as well.
According to chart predictions from Hits Double Daily, the Bitch album is tipped to miss the top 20 of the Billboard 200 chart.
The star, who hasn't had a hit single in years, also claimed that she 'doesn't need' to release hits anymore because she's already been so successful
Lizzo topped the Billboard charts and won multiple Grammys at the height of her fame, but her last few singles have failed to crack the top 100
Lizzo previously blamed a lack of radio play for her diminished presence on the charts.
'The industry changed so much in the last three years. Streaming replaced radio and I was a radio darling. That’s how my fans discovered my music,' she wrote on X.
'Not to mention the very obvious and public attack on my career changed things,' she added, referring to her fat-shaming lawsuit, which was dropped last year.
At the height of her fame, Lizzo released several back-to-back multi-platinum hits, including Juice, Good As Hell, and Truth Hurts.
Her 2022 single About Damn Time topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won Record of the Year at the Grammys the following year.
However, her career came crashing down after a string of accusations against her were made by her former dancers, including sexual harassment and claims that she created a 'hostile work environment'.
Lizzo also compared herself to legendary divas like Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, and even Mariah Carey (pictured), who has had 19 No. 1 singles on the Hot 100
The dancers - Crystal Williams, Noelle Rodriguez and Arianna Davis - filed a legal action against the songstress in the County Superior Court in Los Angeles in 2023.
After the fat-shaming claims were dismissed in December, Lizzo shared a statement expressing her gratitude at 'the truth' coming out.
'The fat-shaming claims against me have been officially dropped by my accusers. They conceded it had no merit in court,' she said on Instagram.
'There was no evidence that I fired them because they gained weight. Because it never happened. Now the truth is finally out,' she continued.
'They weren't fired for gaining weight. They were fired for taking a private recording of me without my consent and sending it off to ex employees.'
Lizzo's new album 'Bitch' has failed to yield any hits and is predicted to miss the top 20 on the Billboard charts
Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, added she will continue to fight the other claims made against her.
'I have never fired an employee for gaining weight. I have only encouraged and supported bigger bodies and shared my platform with them,' she wrote.
'This claim has haunted me since the day it came out. It has been devastating to suffer through this in silence but I let my lawyers lead and I'm so grateful for this victory.
'I am still in a legal battle. I am not settling. I will be fighting every single claim until the truth is out.'
English (US) ·