sza sos album

SZA Says She “Punked Out” Of Her Collab With Lil Tjay

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SZA is one of the most talented and praised artists in the R&B genre. However, even she appears to struggle with self-doubt. Recently, a leaked song snippet revealed that she had recorded a verse for the crossover track “Calling My Phone” by Lil Tjay and 6LACK. Surprisingly, SZA never sent the recorded verse to her potential collaborators. She says that she “punked out.” After the snippet went public, the songstress expressed mixed feelings about the leak. According to her, she was hesitant to submit the verse because she often feels unable to add anything significant to already great songs. She emphasized her respect for the artists involved in the track.

SZA made it clear that it isn’t exactly about her feeling like she has a lack of ability. In response to a fan’s encouragement for her to have more confidence, SZA explained that she aims to give her best. However, when a song is already popular, she sometimes feels unable to enhance it. As such, she holds back. 6LACK reacted positively to SZA’s leaked verse, describing it as smooth. In return, SZA thanked him for his support. Lil Tjay, upon learning about SZA’s confession, hinted at sending her another song for collaboration. It seems there could still be a potential future collaboration between the two artists.

SZA Succeeds Just Fine On Her Own

Although SZA chose not to participate in the collaboration opportunity, she made her own power move last year. She released her critically acclaimed album, with SOS. Despite being only her second studio album, it became one of the most prominent releases of 2022. As such, it solidified her position as a leading figure in the music industry. The success of her first two albums have pretty much guaranteed that SZA will be a staple in the music scene for quite some time.

In a recent interview on the Rap Radar Podcast, TDE president Terrence “Punch” Henderson spoke about SZA’s unseen skills. He mentioned that she has a collection of material that showcases her rap skills. He also noted that she is handling fame much better now compared to her earlier Ctrl era. That era took place five years ago. However, it seems that there has been immense personal growth and a stronger connection between her artistic persona and her true self on SZA’s part. What do you think of the leaked verse? Let us know in the comments!

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SZA Reveals Her Favorite Tracks Off “SOS”

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SZA has put out some of the most impactful music of this generation. With classics like her debut tape, CTRL, to her new highly anticipated album SOS, it’s clear SZA’s in a league of her own. Moreover, with her new album, fans have continued to rave over it since its release. Garnering much success, along with a ton of accolades has catapulted the “Go Gina” songstress into a new stratosphere. Recently, SZA and the Queen Bey are the only two Black Women (shout out Black Women) to release a No.1 album and No.1 song in this 2020 decade.

Not only that, SZA expressed how honored she was to receive a No.1 album and song. It’s not every day you get a No.1 album and song in the same space as Mrs. Carter. Later, after thanking her fans for their amazing support of her record. Not to mention, the “Kill Bill” remix featuring Doja Cat became the singer’s first No.1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. She took to Instagram to extend her gratitude for the high honor. “To be next to the queen is an honor,” SZA wrote on Instagram.

SZA Tweets Her Favorite Songs Off Her New Album

Furthermore, since releasing the album and performing it on tour, SZA’s had some time to reflect. In a recent tweet the TDE signee revealed a few of her favorite cuts from SOS. “snooze ,love language, kill bill ,nobody gets me ,ex pack ,blind ,good days ,gone girl, I hate u, F2F,low , seek and destroy , ghost , Sos , used. Personal picks,” SZA tweeted. In a follow up tweet, she also mentioned that “Forgiveless” was also in her picks of favorite tracks. Plus who doesn’t love that ODB (Ol’ Dirty Bastard) verse?

Henceforth, SOS has been a smash hit across the board. It’s been one of the most celebrated albums of 2022. Not only were fans already waiting feverishly for SZA to drop the album, the tape is filled with amazing songs that are relatable and resonate deeply with her fanbase. What are your favorite songs off the album? Is this SZA’s best project to date. Let the HNHH crew know what you think in the comments below!

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Why Did SZA Pick Her Name?

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SZA’s name is engrossingly as iconic as The Lion King‘s “Mufasa” (and the fricatives have it!). The extraordinary potential of the name might just be something she puzzles out daily from fresh perspectives. Indeed, she has given us a solid breakdown of “S-Z-A”; however, she seems welcoming of its open-ended nature. She resolved, for instance, that the “S” can stand for “Sovereign” or “Savior.” In other words, she has permitted our moods to choose either inconsistently. Any admirer or critic would discover so much from exploring beyond the individual letters. The alphabetic triad makes more sense as a whole, even though it’s connoted otherwise. We’ll get to that, but first, let’s see what SZA herself has said about her stage name.

Origin Story

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 15: Recording artist Sza visits 106 & Park at 106 & Park studio on October 15, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)

The acclaimed singer has cited the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA as the pillar behind her name. While “RZA” stands for “Ruler, Zig-Zag-Zig, Allah,” SZA stands for “Sovereign Zig-Zag Allah.” These intricate terms are associable with the Supreme Alphabets of the Five Percent Nation, a Black-Islamic Nationalist Movement. Though redundant, mentioning that both artists are largely religion-inclined is crucial. SZA, in particular, was raised, nurtured, and shaped as a Muslim. Incrementally, we see a woman who wires her secular interests into her creative instincts without discarding her faith. We’ve flipped through her personal recital; now it’s time to diagnose why she picked the name!

SZA: A Glint of Poetry

If you’re unsure, surf the net: SZA is a deep thinker. Without even coming to her lyrics, her titles are so profound that they almost suspend disbelief. Hey, poetry does that too! If we’re to sit down with commonalities between SZA and poetry… whew… what an endless list it would be. In each of her songs, there’s a peculiar literary device. In “Seek & Destroy,” for instance, the overriding device was a rhetorical climax. Her precise pattern is to follow up her figurative lyrical choices with an identically-figurative title.

Strikingly, SZA has a thing for consonants, which drives us home to the point of her stage name. Although her strongest verbatim reference to the Wu-Tang Clan has been RZA, she is intellectually more similar to GZA. For a long time, GZA was analyzed to have the second-largest vocabulary in popular hip hop music. SZA seems to follow suit with perhaps the highest consonant frequency, and the count starts with her image tag.

A Self-Devised Identity

sza name
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 23: In this image released on May 23, SZA performs onstage for the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, broadcast on May 23, 2021 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for dcp)

The singer grew up under her father’s morals. This, she counterbalances by creating her own value system. It shows that she can emerge victorious in a situation whereby she made the rules. We’re talking about a woman who has received a well-deserved Rulebreaker Award. 

It’s established: SZA stands out. She’s, however, careful never to “stand out” of her respect for Islam. As a result, her stage name could mediate between her faith and the nature of her career. She can’t wear a hijab while singing about “secretly banging your homeboy.” To make up for that, she can at least honor Allah and his sovereignty in the name she shines with. In a nutshell, SZA is a wordsmith and, very significantly, a staunch woman of faith.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About SZA

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SZA has been one of the most relevant names in the music scene since releasing ‘SOS‘ back in December. Best known for off-the-wall vocal range and tantalizing R&B grooves, she certainly didn’t live the traditional background that many other artists followed to success. If anything, her upbringing is proof that their isn’t one roadmap to success.

Here are 10 facts about SZA’s past that may surprise you.

She was the First Female on the TDE Roster

Any self-proclaimed hip-hop head will know about Top Dog Entertainment. Featuring the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Isaiah Rashad, the collective was arguably the household name for hip-hop talent at it’s peak. However, the record companies’ first female signing was actually SZA. A friend attending an event with SZA convinced the TDE President to take a listen to her music. After hearing a few of her snippets back in 2011, they signed her at 23 years old.

She was once Fired for Eating Weed-Laced Brownies

After graduating from college, SZA took a variety of low-paying jobs in order to pay rent. At 23 years old, the New-Jersey based artist was “completely broke” when she signed her record deal with TDE. During one brief stint at clothing company Diesel, she was fired for eating weed-laced brownies that gave her a bad reaction.

She Aspired to be an Olympic-Level Gymnast

SZA was active in sports throughout her scholastic years. As a sophomore in high school, she was the fifth ranked gymnast in the US. However, she would soon thereafter give up the sport after realizing that she wouldn’t make the Olympics. Stating “If I can’t win, I won’t play,” the decision has definitely worked out in the long-run for her.

She had no Plans to Pursue Music until after College

SZA had absolutely no plans to pursue music until after college. Focused as a gymnast in high school and later pursuing a degree in marine biology at Delaware State University, the idea only cemented when she decided to drop out of college. Her reasoning was simple, she hated it. “I drank Malibu and smoked week everyday. And slept.” She would work a variety of blue-collar jobs while creating music on the side, before she received her first paycheck in music at age 23.

She was Kicked Out after Leaving School

SZA was kicked out of her family home after quitting college. Her mom wouldn’t have it, viewing SZA’s decision as an abandonment of her dreams for her. SZA would spent the next few months sleeping at friends’ house. “That time of my life sent me into a crazy depression, but it also lit a fire under me to make something of myself.” Her mother later regretted her harshness on her daughter, stating that “I’m so glad she didn’t listen to me.” However, SZA may not have ended pushing herself musically if her mother had let her stay.

She Went to the same High School as Lauryn Hill

Two of the most talented R&B vocalists of all-time went to the same high school. 15 years prior to SZA, Lauryn Hill also attended Colombia High School in New Jersey. SZA performed and give a speech at her old high school back in 2018 after being inducted in the school’s hall of fame. She certainly didn’t have an easy experience in high school, as she’s since opened up about the bullying and Islamophobia that she was forced to endure as a teenager.

She Was Raised as an Orthodox Muslim

SZA has been open about the emotional abuse she faced post-9/11 as a Muslim. Admitting that she stopped wearing a hijab after being bullied and stereotyped for her beliefs, she was bullied throughout her childhood for her beliefs. She stated “It pains me to see all of this Islamophobia growing when I know the damage that causes. Where it comes from a place of ignorance and fear.” However, she’s learned to embrace her beliefs with time. The talented singer still fasts for Ramadan every year.

She Wrote a Song for Rihanna

Back in 2014, SZA wrote “Consideration” with the intention of the track appearing on ‘CTRL.’ However, she decided to give the song to Rihanna in order to impress Pharrell Williams. The track would end up appearing on Rihanna’s eighth studio album, ‘Anti.’ It wasn’t the only that she would write for another big-name female artist. In addition, she wrote “Feeling Myself,” which appears on Nicki Minaj’s ‘The Pinkprint.’

She has a Unique Songwriting Process

The majority of artists will write their lyrics down while hearing a beat. However, SZA has a unique process. Similar to Jay-Z, she freestyles off of beats off of the top of her head. Back in 2020, she tweeted “I freestyle 90% of everything. Tryna learn how to write stuff down because most of my favs do.” Guided by her imaginative impulses, she’s undeniably a master at articulating the woes of modern romance. Her most recent record, ‘SOS,’ was likely her best project from a songwriting perspective to date.

The SOS Album Cover was Inspired by Princess Diana

SZA is seated at the edge of a diving board on the ‘SOS’ album cover, peering out into the vastness of the ocean. The image directly mirrors a photo of Princess Diana taken back in 1997 on a lake in Portofino, Italy. When describing the cover, she said “I just liked how isolated she (Princess Diana) felt, and that was what I wanted to convey the most.” The narrative around the album certainly fits this sentiment, as much of ‘SOS’ discusses her falling in and out of love with a lover, as well as her struggles in processing that experience.