SZA has been one of my favorite artists since 2017 with the release of her album “CTRL.” At the time, I was 16 and I did not have a good understanding of life. I learned a lot about myself and what I wanted for my future after I listened to the album.
I was ready for her to release new music back in 2017, but if you had told me I had to wait five years for a new album, I would have told you to stop joking. In between those five years, she released songs here and there, but nothing would prepare me for what was to come. So on Dec. 4, when SZA released the one minute and 16 second preview of visuals, I almost passed out. When she released the pre-save link the next day, I pressed the link so fast. I had been waiting years for her to release this album and I must tell you, I was thrilled!
On Dec. 9, the R&B icon released her long-awaited album, “SOS.” I wasn’t surprised she released such an emotional and thought-provoking album, but she also tells stories using different music genres all on one album. This was a new direction for her musical sound and listening to the album was an emotional rollercoaster. Similar to “CTRL,” she speaks about her experiences and feelings she has faced in regards to relationships and her growing faith in spirituality. She also uses the album to speak on what she has been up to the last five years of her life.
This album has been out for a couple of months, but I absolutely had to speak about my two favorite songs from the album. Here is the breakdown.
“Used” feat. Don Toliver
I remember this song was swirling around TikTok, two years ago, for about a week and I was instantly hooked! The two minute and 26 second song starts off with SZA’s grandma, Norma Rowe, saying “Yeah, I’ll cuss your a** out in a minute.” Her grandmother is known for spreading knowledge to SZA throughout most of her “CTRL” album and this song/album is no different. In this song, she talks about being in a one-sided relationship and being accustomed to being used. She also uses the chorus, sung by Don Toliver, to speak about wanting to fight for the relationship, but being okay with the relationship being over. This song front to back is a masterpiece to me. The contrast of Don Toliver singing the chorus, to doing what I’d call a mixture of raping and singing at the same time, works wonderfully.
“Forgiveless” feat. Ol’ Dirty Bastard
This song was an amazing surprise! The two minute and 21 second song starts and ends with vocals that are sampled from “The Stomp” by Ol’ Dirty Bastard, who was a part of the Wu Tang Clan before his passing in 2004. According to an interview with Complex, SZA gets her name from the supreme alphabet, where RZA, who was also a part of Wu Tang Clan, also gets his name from. This fact alone gives this song a little personal touch. In this song, the lyrics address people talking behind her back and disrespecting her. Through the song she asserts confidence in herself and ultimately will not hesitate to fight you if she finds out. I listen to this song at least once a day. It has become by far my favorite song on the entire album and my daily mantra. The beat carries itself through the whole song and the lyrics just make the song 1000 percent better. I related to this song because I try not to take anything from anyone and this song helps further illustrate what I am trying to live by.
SZA’s SOS is streaming on all platforms and she has released a music video for her song “Kill Bill.” Listen on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Music.