Lizzo Explains Why She Changed Her Album Name and Sound for 'Bitch'

Lizzo says she never shelved her planned album "Love in Real Life," despite speculation after she delayed its release last year and instead put out the mixtape "My Face Hurts From Smiling" in June.

Speaking to Billboard about her recent partnership with Chili's, Lizzo addressed rumors that she abandoned "Love in Real Life" in favor of a new album, "Bitch," which arrives June 5.

"I think the biggest misconception about my album is that I shelved 'Love in Real Life' when I didn't," she said. "'Bitch' is technically the same album. I just changed the name. The music is the same."

Lizzo said the main difference between the original and current versions is that she removed the title track "Love in Real Life" from the project, which prompted the name change. "When you change the name of something, it changes its destiny," she said. "Like, when I went from Melissa to Lizzo, it changed my destiny."

She said the switch from "Love in Real Life" to "Bitch" changed the album's direction. "I feel like I can express myself the way I want to express myself right now through 'Bitch.' I think 'Love in Real Life' was really somber and a little more introspective, and I think 'Bitch' is a little more empowered and bold."

Ahead of the new album, Lizzo released singles "Don't Make Me Love U" and "Bitch." Previously, she had dropped songs "Love in Real Life" and "Still Bad" in spring 2025, intended for the original album, but soon after, she paused the project and released "My Face Hurts From Smiling."

Speaking to Vulture last year, Lizzo said she wrote most of her upcoming album in 2022 and wanted a change. "By 2025, I've changed, the world has changed so much, and so much has happened. I was like, I need to do things differently, and I don't know what it is, but I'm going to start following my instincts."

Lizzo also released a new version of Chili's "Baby Back Ribs" jingle for the restaurant chain, performing it in a new ad campaign. She added her own lyrics and flute performance for the spot, which recreates scenes from the 1996 commercial. The video and her a cappella version are now on YouTube.

Lizzo said she expects "My Face Hurts From Smiling" to become more popular over time. "Everybody hates everything right now," she told Billboard. "We're in a nostalgia-based society where nostalgia is the hottest commodity. So no one's gonna like anything that comes out immediately. You gotta let things cook, because we're so obsessed with nostalgia. You drop a song, and it's like, I can't wait until you guys love it next year."

She said she believes the mixtape will appreciate in value over time. "Five years from now, people are gonna be like, 'Oh, my gosh, 'My Face Hurts From Smiling' is a classic.'"