I believe I’ve found my top song for 2025’s Spotify Wrapped, and it comes in the form of SZA’s “30 For 30” featuring Kendrick Lamar. I don’t know about you, but I was honestly itching for the release of SZA’s SOS Deluxe album, LANA, ever since she teased it on Dec. 16. While I, along with many of her fans, anxiously awaited its release, it did not arrive at the predicted time (the release was originally set for Dec. 20 at midnight but was moved to later that day).
Punch, SZA’s manager, effectively soothed fans’ anxiousness by revealing that the album would be released at 12 p.m. PST. Now we don’t have to freak out about its impending arrival, but rather freak out over the album’s 15 new song tracklist, particularly “30 For 30.”
Lamar and SZA are cementing their status as an iconic duo, delivering back-to-back collaborations in 2024. From SZA’s “Luther” feature on Lamar’s surprise album GNX to now him being featured on LANA, fans just can’t get enough. The pair are even now set to go on their Grand National Tour in 2025, hitting 23 North American cities.This year isn’t the first time Lamar and SZA worked together either. Their viral hit “All The Stars” from 2018’s Black Panther soundtrack became a global hit, and they even embarked on the Championship Tour that same year along with various other artists. But before I get ahead of myself, let’s focus on their latest track, “30 For 30” and break down what the lyrics reveal.
The song’s introduction starts with somebody speaking, saying, “I used to think about immature things / You know like, do you love me? Do you want me? / Are you gonna call me like you said you would? / Is this really your real phone number?” The beginning is actually a sample from the R&B band Switch’s 1979 song “I Call Your Name.” The intro is spoken by band member Bobby DeBarge, while the song “I Call Your Name” explores the idea of romantic relationships and the concept of maturing into love.
On the chorus of “30 For 30,” SZA and Lamar come out swinging, highlighting how haters will never reach the same level of accomplishment as they have. Kendrick raps, “Some of y’all gon’ get washed (Washed)/ Some of y’all just gon’ pop sh*t/Some of y’all just gon’ talk (Talk)/ But none of y’all ain’t really ’bout sh*t/Some of y’all just look lost (Lost, yeah).” The attitude here is that whether haters are overshadowed, create drama, or simply get lost in the commotion, it’ll make no difference for the two of them. The verse continues, this time with both singing the lyrics, “I get this type of feeling you ain’t accustomed to/ I swear I’d be at peace if it weren’t for you (Yeah, yeah).”
The second half of the chorus changes a bit in tone, as SZA and Lamar take turns on the verse to sing about wanting genuine love. They sing, “Only want your love if it’s solid/ But if it’s f*ck me, then f*ck you (Huh)/ And that’s the way I like it/ That’s the way I like it/ And that’s the way I like it/Ain’t huggin’ or smilin’ for none of these b*tches/ That’s the way I like it/ I’m wipin’ ’em down in front of they n*gga/ That’s the way I like it.” The lyric, particularly near the conclusion, emphasizes SZA’s desire to avoid fakeness and instead be authentic about her goals. The chorus ends with the following lines, “I’m thirty for thirty, I’m thirty for thirty, I’m thirty for thirty, I’m thirty for thirty, I’m-.” Thirty for Thirty could point to Lamar and SZA’s continued success, whether personal or professional.
SZA sings the song’s post-chorus, “Chat/ Should they fold that b*tch, no yoga mat?/ Chat/ Should they dead that n*gga? Don’t hit me back/ Chat/ Should’ve ran that n*gga, no questions asked/ Chat, chat, they chattin’, they chat.” The lyrics highlight SZA’s desire to address people from her past, whether it’s confronting someone, ending a relationship, or taking action against someone. SZA knows that people will continue to talk about her and is focused on actions rather than words.
SZA delivers the first verse, highlighting her loneliness and how it drives her to seek partners. She sings, “When the sun go down, everything make me feel lonely, yeah/ I love sad things, but right now, he’s just the homie/ Tryna feel good inside, he never wanna hold me/ Hype me up, you get me hyped, you my favorite coach compress a line.” The line expresses SZA’s need for someone who motivates her, even if it is superficial. She continues, “F*cking stress off, that’s my only vice/ I take it off when he tell me if I’m feelin’ fine/ I run it up, risk it all like I’m rolling dice/ Takin’ it all, it’s my second life.”
SZA emphasizes that her lifestyle may be chaotic, but she is already aware of it, which is further reinforced at the end of the first verse, with her singing, “That’s me (That’s me)/ Passed out in a n*gga backseat (Backseat)/ Crashed out on a black-sand beach (Uh)/ Already know my body/ Already know that’s me/ B*tch shit, then you might get minked/ Mink, mink, mink/ Only want the love if it’s solid.”
In the second verse, Lamar raps, “Everything been otay (Otay)/ They salute me so damn much, every time I show up, n*gga hut, ’bout-face/ Everything no cut, I f*ck y’all up, I’m really gon’ trip ’bout bae (Mm-mm)/ Blow the ’87 guts, why they waitin’ on us?/ Tell ’em I was on PCH.” The line expresses Lamar’s recognition and the respect given by those around him.
Lamar reflects on how some men are so heated over a relationship that it leaves shifting in power dynamics in the lines, “You f*ckin’ with n*ggas that’s thinkin’ they cuter than you, oh/ Say you on your cycle, but he on his period too, oh/ The tables been turnin’ so much, I was thinkin’ it’s foosball/ The tenderness of ’em, mistakin’ ’em for some wagyu, oh.”
Towards the second half of the verse, Lamar emphasizes the confidence between him and SZA through a direct reference, highlighting their unquestionable presence in the industry, rapping, “Walk, talk like Kendrick, like boss /Like Solána, I promise, more bugs, it’s a wasp/ It’s a crater or a spaceship, shut the f*ck up, get lost/ No favors, I’ll wager whatever you worth, I ball.”
He continues, Somethin’ about a conservative, regular girl that still can beat a b*tch ass/ Thorough as f*ck, don’t need your b*tch ass/ Psychic as f*ck, can read your b*tch a*s/ Zodiac sign, it must be a Gemini moon ’cause, sh*t, we about to go half/ Mistakenly, nobody been in they bag, but how many bodies done been in her bed?” He emphasizes a woman’s confidence in her ability to fight when she needs to and her unwavering belief in herself.
Can I say this is at the top of my list of favorite Lamar-SZA collabs?