Lizzo has a new album, called ahem.. Bitch, out in June. But she’s getting her excuses in early. The reason you probably don’t know about it yet isn’t the fault of her record company, it’s those pesky algorithms.
According to a new TikTok, the 38-year-old singer and rapper has made: “The algorithm-based way that social media functions now is destroying the music industry.”
She continued: “Now, when I say the music industry, I don’t mean music culture, I don’t mean the good music that’s out, I don’t mean our ability to connect via social media to music. I’m talking about the actual industry that allows artists to sell their music for profit.
“Because, if your algorithm is super serving you things out of order of when they’re happening, then the general public has no idea when music is actually coming out.”
She said that even she had missed out on releases from artists she was looking forward to. “Back in the day, which was maybe even just five years ago, we used to get things (on our feeds) chronologically. Because of streaming and social media, and our post-COVID, chronically online society, most of music marketing is online. Therefore, music marketing relies heavily on social media.”
“But now, ever since the algorithm has been showing us things out of order, baby, there’s actually no way to successfully promote an album where everyone knows your album is coming.”
She pointed out that this wasn’t a case of sour grapes – “Oh, she’s just mad that she’s floppin” – but that people she knew in the music industry had thanked her for mentioning it because “everybody else is too scared to say it”.
“I’m doing morning shows, podcasts, Netflix specials, dropping the packaging, dropping the cover, doing my part,” she said but claimed that 280,000 people on her private page were missing out on her updates as the content was not hitting their algorithm.
“And it’s not just me because virality does not equal album sales. There are people who are super viral whose albums just don’t sell as much as their fame. Their albums don’t match the amount of views they have on their posts.”
However, don’t shed any tears for the artist formerly known as Melissa Jefferson. “I’m be OK,” she said. “(I’m a) big girl, very successful woman, I have a loyal fan base”.
For the record, Bitch is out on June 5.
