On December 9th, 2022, SZA released her five-years-in-the-making follow-up album to 2017’s CTRL. Her album, titled SOS, consists of twenty-three songs and is more than an hour in length. As a die-hard SZA fan, I’ve been excitedly awaiting her sophomore album. SZA has been an artist that many of us cherish due to her relatable lyrics and because she wears her insecurities aloud. The cover art depicts SZA perched on a diving board surrounded by the sea. The cover conveys a sense of isolation and I think it taps into the idea of the album being a cry for help as she is isolated after the events of CTRL.
SOS plays with soul, folk, jazz, pop, and rock elements with undertones of trap, R&B, and surf. The album opens with a Morse code distress call, followed by self-confidence sung in a rap. SZA comes out swinging in this opening track as she sings about how she is over everything. The opening song sets the tone for the rest of the album as she grapples with self-doubt while also entering an era of revenge. This can be seen on tracks like “Kill Bill” and “I Hate U”. She gets a lot of her darkest thoughts out as she sings that she “might kill her ex, not the best idea”.
On “Open Arms”, Travis Scott delivers an endearing verse that I’ve never heard from him before. SZA sings that no matter how many times she’s pushed away, she remains devoted to her ex. This song is one of my favorites because of its guitar-plucked tune and lyrics. At some point, we’ve been devoted to someone who wasn’t necessarily good for us, whether that be romantically or platonically. Another feature that surprised me was “Ghost in the Machine” with Phoebe Bridgers. At first, I was skeptical about the collaboration, but the song did not disappoint. It didn’t feel like Phoebe was awkwardly crossing over into the soul and R&B lane. “Love Language” has excellent vocals and gut-wrenching lyrics that left a pit in my stomach. SZA confined the feeling of desperation to make a relationship work to the point of sacrificing themselves.
Tracks such as “Blind”, “Special”, and “Shirt” lead us into the depths of SZA’s most intimate thoughts. She sings about the struggle of losing someone that was once a vital part of her everyday life. “Special” has a big place in my heart. I think of it as a response to “Normal Girl” from CTRL. In “Normal Girl”, SZA wanted to give up her uniqueness to be desired and chosen. On “Special” she realizes that she became ordinary and hates herself for it. She gave up what made her special to be with someone who was never great. While also listening to her low points, fans can celebrate self-independence with tracks like “Smoking on My Ex Pack” and “Conceited”. These songs are a reminder after a break-up that you may be better off alone.
SOS gave fans the complexity of feeling empowered and independent while missing a partner/significant other. Although a lot was going on, the music never felt rushed. SOS is more expansive than CTRL with elaborate production and different genres of music. After finishing the album, I interpreted SOS as SZA realizing that she’s afraid of herself and her inner thoughts and sending out distress signals. She loses her sense of control and goes through an array of overwhelming emotions. In CTRL, she places so much of the blame on herself but in SOS, she realizes it’s not all her fault and this realization sends her into a spiral. While not every song lived up to my expectation, I think the album was worth the five-year wait, and I, like my many fans, can’t wait to score tickets to her future concerts.