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SZA’s “SOS” Spends 10th Week At No.1 On Billboard 200

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SZA’s second studio album, SOS, has reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the 10th non-consecutive week. Adele was the last female singer to do so with her 2015 album, 25. Before that, the last R&B album to spend its first seven weeks atop the chart was Whitney Houston’s Whitney.

SZA dropped the album back on December 9, 2022. It debuted immediately on the Billboard 200 with 318,000 equivalent album units sold. The album features appearances from Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers, Travis Scott, and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Behind the scenes, she also worked with Babyface, Jeff Bhasker, Benny Blanco, Rodney Jerkins, DJ Dahi, Gabriel Hardeman, Ant Clemons, and Lizzo. It was promoted with by three singles, “Good Days”, “I Hate U”, and “Shirt.”

SZA At The Grammys

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 05: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) SZA speaks onstage during the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

The feat comes after SZA was named Billboard’s Woman Of The Year, earlier this month. “Right now, I just have extreme gratitude because I swear to God, I never thought I’d be No. 1 for even a week, let alone seven,” she said at the time.

“SZA is a force,” Terrence “Punch” Henderson told Billboard. “To go seven consecutive weeks at No. 1 is legendary. She’s a true generational artist, a cultural reset, if you will. For her album SOS to blend so many different genres together in a cohesive frame shows her genius and versatility. Then you have the voice, the words, the pain, the growth, the relapsing, the delivery, the stories, etc. … a true masterpiece.”

Fans of SOS will be able to catch SZA on tour throughout the spring as she recently embarked on The SOS Tour. She’ll be making stops in Washington, D.C., Boston, New York City, Atlanta, and more through the end of March. In total, SZA will be making 19 stops across the United States and Canada. Omar Apollo serves as the opener. “Last night was the first night of my very first arena tour ever,” she wrote on Instagram after her show in Columbus last week. “I don’t have words. But thank you. So much.”

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SZA Claps Back At Critics Following Leaked Tour Video

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TDE songstress SZA is still on a high following the success of her record-breaking album, SOS. The No. 1 selling project was immediately followed by a tour, which the singer began just two nights ago. Fans have already started to share concert clips, one of which made rounds for SZA’s dancing. The brief video, which was made viral by The Neighborhood Talk, has led to comments about SZA’s dancing and weight, among other things.

The “I Hate U” singer was performing the single when she broke out into some questionable choreography. As a result, supporters are weighing in heavily, calling the performance extremely awkward. “She ain’t used to moving all that weight on her body,” one Instagram user suggests. Another wrote: “I love SZA so don’t drag me y’all. But this is what happens when fans complain about artist[s] not dancing. If they not dancing it’s probably because they can’t.” Shortly after, SZA appeared to respond to the backlash with one tweet. “For every critic there’s hundreds of THOUSANDS rooting for u and that’s what tour reminds me of . Y’all make this sh*t worth while . Thank you again .”

SZA Checks Commenters Following Tour Performance

Aside from the performance critique, show attendees also questioned if SZA is expecting. The chart-topper was completely covered up as she hit the stage, with some noticing a slight bump. One fan noted that it may be weight gain after her BBL surgery, which SZA admits to having on SOS’ title track. The line “So classic, that a** so fat it look natural, it’s not” resulted in her legion of fans chiming in yet again. While many urged the star to reveal her surgeon, others were taken aback and wished she hadn’t gone under the knife. “Bring back the old SZA,” a guy tweeted in dismay.

She will continue her tour this Friday, February 24th, as she lands in Detroit for the show’s third leg. Billboard’s 2023 “Woman of the Year” will also be honored at the Los Angeles ceremony on March 1st in celebration of the LP. SOS has held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for nine consecutive weeks. This sees SZA surpassing the late Whitney Houston for the longest-running R&B album in the lead.

The Tour Marches On

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SZA Revealed She Was ‘Really F*cking Sad’ While Filming The Video For ‘Nobody Gets Me’

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sza nobody gets me video
YouTube

Like all of us, SZA struggles to keep it together when listening to her music. But her depth and relatability are what make her music so great, and likely why she’s this year’s Billboard Woman Of The Year.

In an interview with the magazine accompanying the announcement, SZA revealed that she has trouble performing some of her songs due to the events that have taken place since the release of some of them.

One of her songs, “20 Something,” from her 2017 album CTRL, contains a spoken interlude from her grandmother. She revealed that since her grandmother died, the song feels a lot different performing.

“I never know [what to expect],” SZA said. “When I was performing ’20 Something’ before my grandma died, it didn’t hit me the same. And then after my grandma died, I could barely get through it at rehearsal. Who knows what any of these songs will bring up for me in real life?”

She also revealed that she had a hard time filming the video for “Nobody Gets Me,” from her latest album, SOS.

“Shooting the video for ‘Nobody Gets Me’ was really f*cking sad,” said SZA. “I cried a lot. I’m just going to wing it and see.”

SZA will be honored at 2023 Billboard Women In Music Awards as Woman Of The Year on Wednesday, March 1 at 7 p.m. EST at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles. Fans will be able to tune into the ceremony via live stream.

When Is SZA’s ‘SOS’ Deluxe Coming Out?

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SZA is the subject of a new Billboard cover story that dropped today, as the publication named her Woman Of The Year. During the interview, she confirms what fans had been suspecting for quite a while: that there will be a deluxe version of her chart-topping 2022 album, SOS.

“And, once she releases the deluxe edition of SOS — which will feature 10 additional tracks and is coming soon — SZA says she’ll be done trying to convince herself that she deserves her flowers,” the piece notes.

“After I do the deluxe, I’m hoping to be able to accept that this chapter is done,” SZA said. “I’m looking forward to actually feeling proud of myself and not just smiling and nodding at accolades but really feeling it internally and knowing that I’m good enough.”

While it’s still unclear exactly when we can expect the added ten tracks, it’s just nice to know that it’s on the way. And, hopefully, it won’t take that long to drop — given there were five years between SZA’s debut and sophomore album cycles.

Many fans speculated that the SOS deluxe edition would drop in August, after spotting a potential Easter egg in SZA’s “Kill Bill” music video on the motorcycle license plate, which read “SOS” and “August.” In their defense, she previously used a similar method at the end of her “Shirt” music video to announce her album’s release date.

However, she shut those ideas about the deluxe date down on Twitter. “The deluxe is not coming out in august lol it’s just a license plate,” she wrote.

SZA Explained Why Knew She’d Be ‘Pissed Off’ By The Success Of ‘Kill Bill’

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SZA has been named Billboard‘s Woman Of The Year for 2023. In celebration, she did an interview with the publication on the heels of her sophomore SOS album dropping in December.

Not only did SZA reveal that there’s a deluxe version on the way, but she also opened up about exactly how she feels about her mega hit, “Kill Bill.” The song reached No. 2 on the charts, making it her biggest song to date.

“I knew it would be something that pissed me off,” she said. “It’s always a song that I don’t give a f*ck about that’s just super easy, not the sh*t that I put so much heart and energy into. ‘Kill Bill’ was super easy — one take, one night.”

The vengeful-but-fun video drew a significant amount of attention, too, as it pulled inspiration from the Tarantino flick and had a cameo from Vivica A. Fox.

Still, SZA also noted that she did want to change things up from any expectations that fans might have had after her 2017 debut, Ctrl, saying, “I know people wanted ‘Broken Clocks,’ ‘Love Galore,’ and all that other sh*t again, but I departed from that by choice. Not because I couldn’t do that again; it was just because I wanted to grow. I wanted to do something completely different.”

It’s clear that the pivot has worked out in her favor immensely.

SZA Teases 10 New Songs On “S.O.S” Deluxe As She Kicks Off Tour

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SZA has the world in the palm of her hands. Though fans dealt with a significant wait between the time she dropped CTRL and her sophomore, S.O.S, the TDE songstress delivered on the quality that she promised. Unfortunately, she also hinted that it could be her final project. If it is, she left the music industry with an incredible body of work that will stand the test of time. However, the “Kill Bill” singer still has a few things for her fans.

This week, the singer kicked off her anticipated S.O.S tour. The singer began the North American run in Columbus, OH on Feb. 21st with Omar Apollo as her opening act. SZA showcased her spicy choreography on stage as she breezed through hits like “Love Galore,” “Seek & Destroy,” “Kill Bill,” and “All Of The Stars,” among others. She also dished out a cover of Erykah Badu’s “Bag Lady,” though it’s unclear if the rendition will be a regular occurrence on the remainder of the dates.

SZA Teases “S.O.S” Deluxe With 10 New Songs 

Ahead of the tour, SZA appeared on the cover of Billboard’s Woman Of The Year issue where she divulged information surrounding her next plans. Though she has intentions of closing this chapter of her career, she confirmed that a deluxe is on the way. “After I do the deluxe, I’m hoping to be able to accept that this chapter is done. I’m looking forward to actually feeling proud of myself and not just smiling and nodding at accolades but really feeling it internally and knowing that I’m good enough,” she explained.

The deluxe edition of S.O.S will include another 10 songs, extending the 23-song tracklist to 33. Unfortunately, there’s no release date set but we could only hope that we don’t have to wait as long for the S.O.S deluxe as we did for CTRL. However, it’s nice to know that she still has an abundance of music in the cut that she intends on dropping in the near future. Let us know what you think of SZA’s new album in the comments. 

“S.O.S” Tour Kicks Off

SZA’s “SOS” Continues Its Record-Breaking Run

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SZA has proven once again her aptitude for making history. For the ninth non-consecutive week, the 33-year-old singer has earned Billboard‘s No. 1 spot for her sophomore release, SOS. According to the outlet, the project has earned 93,000 equivalent album units. SZA now joins Adele and Taylor Swift as female artists who’ve charted No. 1 for nine weeks. The English songstress earned the top spot with her album 23 for ten weeks, whereas the country-turned-pop star previously held the spot for nine weeks with 1989.

In a conversation with the New York Times, SZA reflected on her approach to SOS. “I didn’t even know how to make [the album] cause I didn’t have a purpose,” she dished. The TDE star also explained how Ctrl had been a way to prove her ability to create an album. But now, SZA says, “I did everything I wanted to do.” Regardless, her latest effort has been met with high acclamations from fans, with tracks like “Snooze,” “Nobody Gets Me,” “Low,” and “Shirt” listed as her most popular tracks according to Spotify. “Kill Bill” has also rightfully been receiving attention, charting at No. 2 following every week since its drop.

SZA’s “SOS” Charts No. 1 For The Ninth Week

SZA and Taylor Swift seen during the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

The highly anticipated album was released last December. It marked SZA’s first full project since her 2017 debut studio effort, Ctrl. Since then, the Missouri-born singer has released various singles and collaborations. She recently dropped Grammy award-nominated “Good Days” and “Hit Different” featuring Ty Dolla $ign. While SZA received primarily positive feedback from SOS, she was criticized for making “sad girl music.” The lyricist addressed these accusations in her NYT interview, explaining that “sad-girl energy has always been my energy. It’s never been, like, bitch-girl energy.” 

Even with haters finding a way to nitpick SOS, the work as a whole is an incredible display of SZA’s refined taste in modern R&B. Her melodic additions to soft beats infuse magically to inflict emotional insights. Needless to say, SOS proudly inhibits “sad girl energy,” creating the perfect soundtrack for comforting a heartbreak. While only time will tell if SZA will surpass the ten-week mark for top album, her SOS Tour commences this week in Columbus, OH. Revisit the starlet’s “Kill Bill” music video below.

SZA Stuns In Her “Kill Bill” Visual

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SZA’s ‘SOS’ Is On Adele’s Heels After Its Ninth Week At No. 1 On The ‘Billboard’ 200 Chart

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SZA continues to surprise herself with the overwhelming success of SOS, her long-awaited sophomore album from December. It became her first-ever No. 1 on the Billboard 200 that month and has steadily broken records in the ensuing weeks.

Last month, SOS became the first album since Adele’s 30 (December 2021 to January 2022) to spend each of its first five weeks at No. 1. SZA began February by celebrating a seventh total week, citing that she, Adele and Taylor Swift are “the only female artists to have an album spend at least seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this century.”

By February 12, SOS logged its eighth nonconsecutive week and became the first album to tally that mark since Swift’s Folklore, and now, SZA is on Adele’s heels for yet another historic feat.

Per Billboard on Sunday, February 19, SOS sits at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart dated February 25, for a ninth total week.

“The last set by a female artist to spend at least nine weeks at No. 1 was Adele’s 25, which ruled for 10 nonconsecutive weeks between Dec. 12, 2015, and March 12, 2016,” Billboard‘s Keith Caulfield noted.

He later added:

“In the last 10 years, only three albums by women have spent at least nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200: SOS, Adele’s 25 (10 in 2015-16) and Taylor Swift’s 1989 (11, 2014-15). The last R&B/hip-hop album with at least eight weeks atop the list was Drake’s Views, which [spent] 13 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 (May 21-Oct. 8, 2016). SOS has the most weeks at No. 1 for an R&B/hip-hop album by a woman, or an R&B album by a woman, since Mariah Carey’s self-titled debut spent 11 weeks, all consecutively, at No. 1 in 1991.”

SZA appeared as a presenter at the 2023 Grammys on February 5, and she’s likely to be there as a nominee next year.

“Last night was the first time I had a great time at an award show! (Prolly cause I ain’t have to do sh*t but cheer my friends on + announce ppl I Stan lmao),” SZA wrote on Instagram afterward. “My team also surprised me w a GANG OF PLATINUM and gold plaques for SOS [crying emoji] can’t believe the album is already eligible for double platinum. LOVE TO EVERYBODY THAT GOT ME HERE AND CONTINUES TO LIVE ME UP. I love you.”

After initial concerns that people wouldn’t like SOS, SZA has apparently settled into the rhythm of repetitive record-breaking. “Honestly I’m bored and could go for some aliens,” she tweeted last week. “Speaking for me only.”

In actuality, she’s preparing to take her blockbuster album on the road. Her SOS Tour is scheduled to begin tomorrow, February 21 in Columbus, Ohio. Omar Apollo will serve as her opener.

Omar Apollo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

SZA’s “S.O.S” Reclaims #1 On Billboard 200

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The possibility of a sophomore slump weighed heavily on SZA’s fanbase until the release of S.O.S. The TDE songstress faced numerous delays in releasing her follow-up to CTRL. Over the years, she frequently aired out her issues with her label, who ensured fans that an album was coming soon. Though it took some time, the singles leading up to the release of S.O.S held fans down and further built the anticipation for her sophomore album among her fans.

The results didn’t disappoint, either. S.O.S was met with critical acclaim immediately upon its release. Especially with the five-year gap between projects, SZA came through with an incredible body of work that boasted 23 songs in total and appearances from Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers, and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard. In the past two months since its release, fans continue to find new songs to claim as their favorites while online discourse has undoubtedly worked in her favor. If S.O.S. was SZA’s last project as she’s previously suggested, she left with a bang.

SZA Returns To #1

SZA earned her first #1 on the Billboard 200 with S.O.S., an incredible feat in her career. However, she grasped onto that position in the weeks to come. Though it was later replaced, the album returned to the top position this week. Billboard reports SZA’s S.O.S. reclaimed the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 for an eighth week. She continues to do incredible numbers as she earned another 100K in sales in the week ending on Feb. 9th. It’s an impressive feat that measures up to Taylor Swift’s accomplishments on chart two years ago with Folklore.

While the album continues to do impressive numbers on the charts, SZA’s currently gearing up to hit the road in support of S.O.S. The “Kill Bill” singer kicks off the S.O.S. tour in Columbus, OH on Feb. 21st. The 17-date tour will continue until March 22nd with the singer hitting cities like Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, NYC, Oakland, and Los Angeles, where she’ll close out her run on March 22nd. Perhaps, this will also play a significant role in the album’s chart success in the next month.