It’s no secret that SZA has run into a few hiccups related to releasing her sophomore album. We’ve seen much of her frustration played out on online, as her devoted fans often pelt her with questions and attack her label bosses who have been blamed for the delays. There was a brief moment when it seemed as if the project was well on its way, but once again, it is unclear when Ctrl‘s follow up will arrive.
Top Dawg Entertainment’s president Terrence “Punch” Henderson Jr. has bore the brunt of complaints as both SZA and her fans have taken their grievances to social media. During his visit to Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion Podcast, Punch touched on the controversy that regularly lands his name in headlines.
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“I respect fans that demand it because it was obvious something was said that touched their lives to where they wanted it this bad,” said the music exec. He added that things can “go overboard,” but he understands that the pressure is birthed out of truly being a fan.
On social media, Punch previously explained that context is important when reacting to complaints from an artist, and he doubles down on that point in this interview. “You have to know how something was said, if it was light-hearted, if it was serious, like what it was. If [SZA’s] responding to somebody and saying, ‘You gotta ask Punch,’ you can take that a gang of different ways based on your disposition.”
“You only get so many characters when you’re tweeting and people get a whole story and run with it. What I always like to ask is what do I gain from not putting the album out?” he asked.
Check it out below.