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SZA Didn’t Expect “Snooze” To Be A Hit Song: “Wasn’t My Favorite”

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SZA bucked the curse of the sophomore slump and then some. The R&B superstar took a long time to follow up her debut album, Ctrl, but SOS proved to be an even bigger success on the charts. A lot of this success was due to the single “Snooze,” which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy for Best R&B Song. It’s become one of SZA biggest hits, which is why she decided to share a funny anecdote about the song on X (formerly Twitter). The singer admitted that was not really a fan of “Snooze” when she first recorded it.

SZA broke the news to fans on April 24. “I’m not gon lie snooze wasn’t my favorite when I made the album,” she told her followers. Fortunately, the song grew on the singer as the sessions wore on, and it’s since become her favorite. “Now it’s my favorite hands down,” she added. “Played it at the beach and it was noiiiiiiceeeee. I’m late but thank y’all for riding til I got some sense.” It’s easy to see why SZA came back around on it. In addition to the Hot 100 placement and the Grammy, “Snooze” broke the record for most weeks atop the US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart with 30 weeks. It’s safe to assume she’s going to be playing it for the rest of her career.

Read More: SZA Has A Big Problem With Online Haters For This Reason

SZA Says “Snooze” Has Become Her Favorite SOS Song

Miraculously, “Snooze” almost missed the cut for SOS. During an interview with Revolt, producer Leon Thomas revealed that the song was originally intended for a Babyface album. “Snooze” came about as SZA and Babyface were riffing in the studio. “It was a collaboration for Babyface’s new album, Girls Night Out,” Thomas revealed. “We were just getting creative and having Babyface walk in and out of the room and lay parts. We did the beat that same day, and she recorded the song on the same day.”

This spontaneity extended to the “Snooze” music video. SZA told WSJ Magazine that Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber FaceTimed her when she was planning the video, and she asked if Bieber wanted to be in it. The pop star obliged, and an iconic video resulted. “[Bieber] showed up and he was down as f*ck for the whole day,” SZA recalled. “and “[He] didn’t trip about nothing.” SZA is currently working on her follow up album, Lana, which was born out of unused songs from the SOS sessions.

Read More: SZA Set To Receive A Special Award From The Songwriters Hall Of Fame

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SZA Set To Receive A Special Award From The Songwriters Hall Of Fame

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SZA had about as impressive of a 2023 as anybody. Following the release of SOS in late 2022, she took a year-long victory lap marked by some of the biggest hits of her career so far. It began with “Kill Bill” which hovered in the top 5 of the Hot 100 for months following the album’s release and eventually hit #1 when Doja Cat teamed up for a remix. As soon as the momentum from that song slowed down, “Snooze” took over and became her biggest chart hit ever. The track is still on the charts and next week will be its stunning 70th week on the Hot 100.

Now SZA is receiving yet another honor in the wake of her massive year. It was announced today that she’ll be this year’s recipient of the Hal David Starlight Award. She’ll be given the award at the Songwriters Hall Of Fame Awards on June 13 in New York City. According to Billboard, the announcement describes the award as an honor presented to “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs.” The “Snooze” singer is just the second black woman to win the award following Alicia Keys being honored nearly two decades ago. Check out the announcement of her award below.

Read More: SZA’s “Kill Bill” Among Bill Nye’s Top Songs Of 2023

SZA Getting Special Songwriters Award

Late last year, SZA announced that she had a deluxe edition of SOS coming soon. The special new deluxe album was called LANA and fans were expecting it sooner rather than later. When she dropped the single “Saturn” back in February fans assumed that the full album would be dropping soon, but that hasn’t been the case. A big reason was revealed to fans last month.

The R&B darling went on a public rant against the person who leaked LANA and revealed that she’s writing and recording an entire new deluxe album instead of officially releasing the leaked songs. What do you think of SZA being honored at this year’s Songwriters Hall Of Fame Awards? Are you looking forward to SZA eventually releasing her SOS deluxe version LANA? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: What Is SZA’s Best-Selling Album?

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SZA Puts “Lana” Leaker On Blast, Fans Troll Her For Going After Someone With Only 4 Likes

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SZA called out a user on Twitter for leaking unreleased music from her upcoming project, Lana, on Monday. In doing so, she clarified the status of the deluxe version of SOS after going on a since-deleted rant about scrapping the music she has and starting over. In response to the drama, fans noted that the post SZA was upset about only managed to get four likes before it was deleted.

“Will be dropping the leaks and outtakes from SOS as promised as the deluxe asap. Lana deserves more time and music no one’s ever heard before seems fair. Bless,” she wrote in one post. From there, she shared a screenshot of the leak. “Yesterday Janessa leaked unreleased pics and audio,” she captioned the post. “Then she deleted and deactivated before rca could get her. I screenshotted. Being that this is material from Lana This prompted me to make a decision.”

Read More: SZA Says She’s Restarting “‘Lana’ From Scratch” Due To Leaks

SZA Performs At The Grammy Awards

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: SZA performs onstage during the 66th GRAMMY Awards on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

SZA continued in the thread: “The second leak tweet was fake but for sure pissed me off lol. Janessa was also in the replies to that tweet before she deactivated. I decided w all the leaks and me not knowing what someone has or doesn’t have it’s too complicated so I should jus consolidate the leaks and the outtakes and drop that as to not prolong the process and then focus on my next project as a win win for everybody. Y’all know I hate a thread but I had to clarify .. now enjoy your evening. I love you. And please be clear anybody defending a thief is weird as f*ck. I don’t come in your job and take sh*t and f*ck up your work. Why would that be okay? Where’s the home training? Nobody wants to prosecute a young woman. We’ve all asked very nicely for some time now.”

SZA On “Lana” & How She’s Handling Leaks

It’s not the first time SZA has complained about leaks relating to Lana. She also threatened to take legal action over the situation back in January. Be on the lookout for further updates on SZA on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: SZA Flaunts Bikini In New Photo Dump, Addresses “Lana” Demands

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SZA Says She’ll Release The ‘SOS’ Leaks As Part Of The Deluxe, But Is Still Working On ‘LANA’

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We have yet another update on SZA‘s upcoming album, LANA. Originally set to be an extended version of SOS, the seemingly mythical LANA has had fans waiting with great fervor. However, it looks like we’re still going to have to wait a a bit longer.

Earlier this week, the “Snooze” hitmaker said that as a result of fans leaking songs from LANA, she would be starting the project over. But tonight (March 26), it appears she’s had a change of heart.

SZA took to Twitter to explain to fans that she will, in fact, give the leaked material a formal release.

“Will be dropping the leaks and outtakes from SOS as promised as the deluxe asap,” SZA said. “Lana deserves more time and music no one’s ever heard before. seems fair. Bless.”

She continued, saying that keeping up with the leaks was very taxing on her, and decided that it was easier to simply share the material as a gift with fans, and for LANA to evolve as its own body of work.

“I decided w all the leaks and me not knowing what someone has or doesn’t have it’s too complicated so I should jus consolidate the leaks and the outtakes and drop that as to not prolong the process and then focus on my next project as a win win for everybody,” she said.

Now, as for a release date, we’ll believe it when we see it.

SZA Says She’s Restarting “‘Lana’ From Scratch” Due To Leaks

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SZA says she’s restarting work on the deluxe version of her SOS album, Lana, due to fans leaking songs she had planned for the project. She explained the situation in a pair of tweets she’s since deleted that went up on Monday. She says fans can keep the three songs they’ve already gotten access to.

“So, we’ll make this really simple,” she wrote. “Y’all leaked three songs from the deluxe. At this point, y’all can keep the throwaways and leaks. I’ll be starting ‘Lana’ from scratch. Do not ask me about it again. Thank you.” She added in a follow-up: “I’ll round up the leaks y’all already got and u can have those. Seems like a fair deal. ENJOY.”

Read More: SZA Visits Sesame Street, Shares Clip With Elmo & Old Tweet About Wanting To Join

SZA Performs At The Grammy Awards

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) SZA performs during the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Timothy Norris/FilmMagic)

It’s not the first time SZA has gotten heated about the leaking of her music on social media. Back in January, she threatened to take legal action over the situation. “Leaking my music is stealing,” she wrote at the time. “This is my job. This is my life and my intellectual property. You are a f*cking thief, and I promise to put maximum energy into holding everyone accountable to the full extent of the law. I am tired.” Check out her posts on the matter on Twitter below.

SZA Expresses Frustration Over Leaked Songs

SZA has been working on the deluxe version of her critically acclaimed 2022 album for over a year now. Speaking with Variety in December, she admitted the work she’s put into it is starting to make it feel like it’s own separate album. She dropped the lead single, “Saturn,” last month. There’s still no release date for Lana. Be on the lookout for further updates on SZA and her new album on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: SZA Flaunts Bikini In New Photo Dump, Addresses “Lana” Demands

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SZA Wins “Best International Artist” At The BRIT Awards

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SZA beat out a crowded field to take home “Best International Artist” at the BRIT Awards this week. The St. Louis singer took home the award ahead of the likes of Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, and Taylor Swift. In fact it, was a quiet night overall for Swift. Cyrus took home “International Song of the Year” for “Flowers”. However, it should be noted that Swift did not have a nomination in this category. Previously, Swift had topped SZA for “Album of the Year” at the Grammys.

Elsewhere, it was a rough night for up-and-coming rapper Central Cee. Despite entering the night with the second-most nominations (4), Cee came away with no awards. Furthermore, the rapper has been making a huge name for himself over the last 18 months. This has included reaching the heights of a potential collab with Drake.

Read More: SZA Visits Sesame Street, Shares Clip With Elmo & Old Tweet About Wanting To Join

SZA & Phoebe Bridgers Win Best Pop Duo/Group Performance Grammy

Furthermore, it’s already been a huge year for SZA in terms of award recognition. Alongside Phoebe Bridgers, she won the 2024 Grammy for best pop dup/group performance for their track “Ghost in the Machine”. The pair most notably won the award over Swift, who was nominated for her track “Karma”, which featured Ice Spice. “Holy sh-t THANK YOU @phoebe_bridgers!!!I F-CKING LOVE YOU B-TCH !! 🥹😩Thank you to @RecordingAcad!!!!!!! I’m so grateful 🥹🙏🏾 and thank you to every producer on this record especially rob and Carter 🥹🫡🫶🏾 love u gang . WE GOT ONE !! 🤞🏾😭,” SZA wrote on X after the award was announced. “Ghost in the Machine” peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.

However, aside from Swift and Spice, SZA and Bridgers have several other big-name contenders for the award. Cyrus had been nominated for her track “A Thousand Miles” with Brandi Carlisle. Lana Del Rey was nominated for her track “Candy Necklace” featuring Jon Batiste. Furthermore, Billie Eilish, who won for her song on the Barbie soundtrack, was nominated for her feature on Labrinth’s “Never Felt So Alone”.

Read More: SZA Reveals Which Of Her Songs Are Associated With Each Zodiac Sign

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SZA Isn’t Fazed Over Her Grammys ‘Album Of The Year’ Loss: ‘I’m Grateful I Won Three’

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Per usual, the Grammys have prompted discourse about the coveted Album Of The Year award. Many viewers were disappointed that SZA’s critically acclaimed sophomore album SOS didn’t win the award, however, SZA herself didn’t seem to be fazed.

On the night of the 2024 Grammys, SZA won three awards — Best Progressive R&B Album for SOS, Best R&B Song for “Snooze,” and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for her Phoebe Bridgers collaboration, “Ghost In The Machine.” In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, SZA expressed her gratitude for winning those three awards, despite not winning Album Of The Year.

“I’m grateful I won three,” SZA said. “I could have left with nothing and I didn’t, and I’m grateful. My parents got to see it and I didn’t bomb on live television, and that was so scary. And I faced some really big fears and I’m just happy that it all went well, genuinely. And I’m happy for everybody.”

Also on Grammy night, SZA delivered a killer performance of the SOS fan favorites, “Kill Bill” and “Snooze.” She also shared a new song, “Saturn,” which is said to appear on her upcoming album, LANA.

When asked about the new album, SZA remained tight-lipped, noting that she doesn’t want the energy of the album to change.

“I’m just kind of here while energy is forming and I’m just trying to allow it to do what it needs to do, and my voice just follows whatever the frequency is,” she said. “So I feel like I want to allow it to finish shaping itself and form itself before I speak on it and possibly change the trajectory of what it could be. But I will say I’m in a beautiful space creatively and I feel just very new.”

SZA Reveals Which Of Her Songs Are Associated With Each Zodiac Sign

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SZA is no stranger to discussing the zodiac signs, which ones she likes, and how their shifting alignment affects her. In fact, she’s one of the definitive astrology girls in popular music and often gets asked about it in interviews and online by fans. That was the case during another recent interview when she was asked which of her songs correlated with what signs. The answers she gave have her fans debating and some are even left offended by the choices.

Most of the songs she chose are from her newest album SOS with the exception of two from her 2017 album CTRL. CTRL opener “Supermodel” is her pick for Sagittarius while the Travis Scott-featuring cut “Love Galore” is assigned to Libras. Some of the most unique and standout tracks on SOS pop up on SZA’s list. The pop-punk flavored “F2F” is perfectly matched with Aries. The Phoebe Bridgers-featuring “Ghost In The Machine” turns up as her official Aquarius anthem. “Gone Girl” represents both Taurus and Virgo. But the most attention-grabbing choice was to not even give an answer for the Cancer sign. Check out her full list below.

Read More: SZA’s “SOS” Becomes Longest Running #1 R&B Album

SZA’s Songs As The Zodiac Signs

Earlier this week SZA surprised fans by popping up at Isaiah Rashad’s Cilvia Demo 10th anniversary show in LA. The two performed a duet while on stage together, but that wasn’t the only thing that grabbed fans’ attention that night. There was also a flyer leaked from the event that revealed Top Dawg Entertainment plans on releasing new projects from all of their artists this year.

For SZA, many fans assume that means LANA. She first announced the deluxe edition of SOS last year but news has been slow since. Earlier today the first of those projects was officially confirmed when they announced Schoolboy Q’s new album. What do you think of SZA’s selections of which of her songs align with each zodiac sign? Do you agree with her choice for your sign? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: What Is SZA’s Best-Selling Album?

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SZA’s ‘Lana’ Album: Everything We Know So Far About The ‘SOS’ Deluxe

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Back in 2022, SZA released her sophomore album, SOS, five years after dropping her debut album, Ctrl. But it looks like fans won’t have to wait that much longer for the SOS follow-up. In an interview with Variety, SZA teased Lana, a special deluxe edition of SOS, which, since its inception, has evolved into its own body of work.

“It’s outtakes [from SOS] and new stuff, too — I added a couple of songs,” SZA said. “It’s like a whole new project. It’s called Lana — my name but, it’s the first tattoo that I ever got, when I was 13. It was 10 bucks a letter and I only had 40, so that that became my nickname for no reason. Lana is really just the B-side of SOS.

Here is everything we know about Lana so far.

SZA’s Lana Release Date

A release date for Lana has not yet been revealed, however, it’s looking like it may be imminent, as SZA has been teasing the record more and more.

SZA’s Lana Tracklist

SZA has not yet revealed the tracklist for Lana.

Features On SZA’s Lana

SZA has not yet revealed collaborators on Lana, but we may know soon, upon the tracklist reveal.

Singles From SZA’s Lana

No singles have been released from Lana yet.

SZA’s Lana Album Artwork

Last December, SZA took to social media to share what appeared to be multiple versions of the Lana album artwork. You can see the supposed artwork below.

All No. 1 Albums In 2023 On The ‘Billboard’ 200 Chart

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2023 has been an incredible year, with a ton of new music to soundtrack our favorite moments. Many different artists had their albums reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, with the genres ranging from rap to country — and even some K-pop icons sprinkled in.

Here’s what to know about the albums that reached the top in 2023.

All No. 1 Albums In 2023 On The Billboard Hot 100 Chart

Earlier this year, 2023 kicked off with SZA’s SOS album reigning on the 200 albums chart. Her record spent eight weeks there throughout the year, giving her second place as the artist with the most.

Morgan Wallen’s One Thing At A Time was the album to spend the most weeks at No. 1 this year, with 16 in total spread across the year.

Another interesting part is that Taylor Swift had three different albums hit the top of the chart this year — Midnights, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), and 1989 (Taylor’s Version).

Now, 2023 has closed with Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 as this year’s final No. 1 record.

Continue scrolling to see the complete list of all the albums that reached No. 1 in 2023.

SZA — SOS
Tomorrow x Together — The Name Chapter: Temptation
Karol G — Mañana Será Bonito
Morgan Wallen — One Thing At A Time
Taylor Swift — Midnights
Stray Kids — 5-Star
Lil Uzi Vert — Pink Tape
Taylor Swift — Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
NewJeans — Get Up
Travis Scott — Utopia
Zach Bryan — Zach Bryan
Olivia Rodrigo — Guts
Rod Wave — Nostalgia
Drake — For All The Dogs
Bad Bunny — Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Mañana
Blink-182 — One More Time…
Taylor Swift — 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
Stray Kids — Rock-Star
Ateez — The World EP.Fin: Will
Nicki Minaj — Pink Friday 2

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.