New SZA music is finally here! Here LANA: SOS Deluxe album has been met with a bunch of anticipation from fans and given its Dec. 20 release date, it serves as a great Christmas present for SZA fans. One of the songs that has already caught fans’ attention is “Crybaby.” ICYMI, SZA shared a snippet of the song at the end of her “Drive” music video starring Ben Stiller.
“Crybaby” details the media creating an image of one’s artistry and the trials and tribulations that come with that., In SZA’s case, everyone thinks she’s insecure and overly sensitive. However, the song touches upon SZA recognizing her true self and being aware of her flaws.
In the first verse, she sings, “Maybe that attitude take the backseat, Miss Know-It-All / You’d find a man (Find a man) / You got no chill, you can’t (Ain’t go no chill) / Damn, baby, and maybe / If I stop blaming the world for my faults / I could evolve / Maybe the pressure just made me too soft (Ooh).” SZA dives deep into how her artistry has negatively affected her, as she tends to have thoughts about whether her music is good or not. SZA has been outspoken about her insecurities towards her music throughout her career, and she believes it’s something that weighs her down.
In the pre-chorus, she builds on to the message of being sensitive and touches base on cycles of unhealthy behavior. She sings, “Cause all I seem to do is (Seem to do) get in my way (get in my way) / Then blame you it’s just a cycle, rinse, recycle / You’re so sick, I’m so sick me too.” She notices that some people may be tired of the repetitiveness of her work, and surprisingly, she’s tired of it, too.
In the chorus, she sings, “Call me Miss Crybaby, Call me Miss Crybaby / It’s not my fault (It’s not my fault), it’s Murphy’s law (it’s Murphy’s law) / What can go wrong will go wrong / Telling you.” SZA carries the “crybaby” label with pride and defends her vulnerability, as it’s something that doesn’t showcase weakness. Murphy’s law is a common saying for “anything that can go wrong will go wrong,” which is her way of explaining how the negativity can get worse and unfortunate.
She continues the song by singing, “I know you told stories about me / Most of them awful, all of them true / Here’s some for you, yeah-ooh.” SZA recognizes that the media tends to create false stories about celebrities as a way to get clout on their platforms. Despite this, if the singer wants her story to be told, she’s going to have to tell it herself in a truthful manner.
I believe that this song will be on my Spotify Wrapped next year.