Lizzo’s New Album Bitch: Release Date, Tracklist, and Meaning Behind the Title

Grammy-winning artist Lizzo has announced her first full-length studio album in four years, titled Bitch, set for release on June 5 through Nice Life Recording Company and Atlantic Records. The 12-track project marks a bold departure from her previously teased album, Love in Real Life, and follows her 2022 release Special, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The album’s title track, featuring an interpolation of Meredith Brooks’ 1997 hit of the same name, will drop on May 1, with lead single “Don’t Make Me Love U” already out since March.

Reclaiming a Word, Redefining an Album

Lizzo frames Bitch as a deliberate act of linguistic and cultural reclamation. In a statement accompanying the album’s announcement, she described the project as “taking a label once used to diminish women and turning it into a declaration of confidence and unapologetic self-love.” The title pays homage to both Brooks’ 1997 anthem and Lizzo’s own 2019 breakout hit “Truth Hurts,” where she famously declared, “I’m 100% that bitch.”

“Reclaiming the word Bitch is power. So many incredible women in music have used the word for positivity like Meredith Brooks and Missy Elliott. It was only fitting to name my album Bitch because it has become my favorite word when using it on my own terms and because I am 100% that bitch!”

Lizzo

The album’s cover art reinforces this message, featuring Lizzo’s hand with her middle finger replaced by a miniature version of herself—an image she shared on Instagram alongside the caption, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!” The post, made on April 27 (her 38th birthday), encouraged fans to pre-order the album as a “gift.”

Tracklist and Musical Direction

Bitch includes 12 tracks, blending Lizzo’s signature blend of pop, hip-hop, and R&B with lyrics that oscillate between playful and introspective. The tracklist, as revealed by SPIN, includes:

• “A Toast”
• “Happy 2 Be”
• “Don’t Make Me Love U”
• “Bitch”
• “She Stole My Man”
• “Whose Hair Is This”
• “Little Black Cat”
• “Sexy Ladies”
• “That GRRRL”
• “Too Nice”
• “Like a Crime”
• “Goodmorning!”

The project arrives after a period of creative experimentation for Lizzo, including her 2025 rap mixtape My Face Hurts From Smiling, which leaned into Dirty South influences and featured collaborations with producers like Zaytoven and Tay Keith. While Bitch appears to pivot back toward a more polished pop sound, it retains the unapologetic energy that has defined her career.

Recent Projects and Career Momentum

Though Love in Real Life was initially slated as the follow-up to Special, Lizzo has remained active across multiple creative fronts. In April 2025, she performed on Saturday Night Live, teasing new music and showcasing her flute skills—a signature element of her live performances. Earlier this year, she completed residencies at the Blue Note jazz clubs in New York and Los Angeles, where she played intimate shows and headlined major events like the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo in March.

Beyond music, Lizzo has expanded into children’s literature with her debut book, Lil Lizzo Meets Sasha B. Flootin’, set for release on September 8 through Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Illustrated by Mark Pett, the story follows a young girl and her flute on adventures through the ocean, outer space, and the jungle, drawing from Lizzo’s own childhood experiences. The book will include a QR code linking to an original song written exclusively for the project.

Lizzo is also set to portray legendary musician Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the upcoming Amazon MGM Studios film Rosetta, further cementing her presence in both music and film.

Industry and Fan Reactions

The announcement of Bitch has sparked conversations about the evolving use of reclaimed language in pop culture, particularly in music. Lizzo’s decision to center the album around the word “bitch” echoes similar moves by artists like Missy Elliott, who has long used the term in empowering contexts, and Meredith Brooks, whose 1997 hit “Bitch” similarly sought to redefine the word’s connotations.

Fans and critics alike have praised the album’s bold title and Lizzo’s commitment to self-empowerment. The project arrives at a time when discussions about female autonomy, body positivity, and artistic ownership remain central in pop culture. With Bitch, Lizzo appears poised to reignite those conversations while delivering a collection of music that blends her signature humor, confidence, and genre-defying creativity.

The album’s release on June 5 will be preceded by the title track’s debut on May 1, offering listeners a first taste of what promises to be one of the most talked-about projects of the summer.