Lizzo Addresses How Streaming Affected Her Fandom Over Years

If you have wondered why Lizzo's popularity might have dwindled over the years, the musician is herself addressing the doubt.

The "Juice" hitmaker, born Melissa Viviane Jefferson, recently reflected on the effects of streaming on her music career when a social media user openly asked on X what happened to her fanbase that used to sell out arenas even two years ago.

The fan asked, "lizzo not having a fanbase is so weird to me when this woman was literally selling out arenas not even 2 years ago. like, where did those people go?" with a slew of crying emojis.

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Lizzo, quite popular for being vocal on social media, took it upon herself to dissipate the doubt. She held the "streaming" to be the culprit for not having a dedicated fanbase. The multiple Grammy winner also held the transition from radio to streaming responsible for the decreasing numbers.

"I actually can answer this: the industry changed so much in the last 3 yrs," replied the songstress, and added, "streaming replaced radio & I was a radio darling.

"That's how my fans discovered my music. Not to mention the very obvious & public attack on my career changed things," she explained before adding emphatically that she is trying her best to knock it off.

"But I'm out here doing my absolute best and u can't knock a [expletive] for that 🫶🏾."

While Lizzo's words were self-explanatory enough, not all fans were convinced, and some even took to the comment section to share their views.

One of the fans chimed in, saying, “admitting your career carried by radio and not by your fanbase is not the gag you think it is.”

“‘Streaming has replaced radio…’ byou would think Lizzo debuted in the 90s,” added another.

Someone else criticized, “Nah they were forcing you down our throats. Streaming is pro active, you can't force the masses to stream. But you can force a song on radio.”

“Streaming replaced radio like 8+ years ago,” shared another.

To be fair, Lizzo hasn’t had a No. 1 hit in the last four years. Her last Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 song was “About Damn Time” in 2022. Before that, she reached the top position with her “Truth Hurts” in 2019. Apart from the two No. 1 tracks, the singer had logged two more songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 list.

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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 1:25 PM.