SZA

SZA, Rihanna, and Doja Cat Win Big At The 2023 Webbys

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The 27th annual Webby Awards recently announced its winners. Only a handful of musicians and performers were selected for awards, including Rihanna, Doja Cat, and SZA. Rihanna won the People’s Voice award for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, branded entertainment for her Savage x Fenty Show Vol. 4. Doja Cat was recognized for Best Influencer or Creator Endorsement for her collaboration with Taco Bell, while SZA, Tobe Nwigwe, and Tracee Ellis Ross all received special achievement awards. SZA was also chosen as the 2023 Webby Artist of the Year, acknowledged for her album SOS, her dedication and creativity in her work, and her ingenious use of the internet to share her unique, honest art.

Claire Graves, president of The Webby Awards, gave a statement alongside the winner announcements. “This year’s Webby Winners speak to the incredible potential of the Internet and the people who shape it,” she said. “They have set the benchmark for excellence in their respective category and are an inspiration for us all to continue striving towards a more connected and creative digital world.” The awards are another achievement in a long line of accolades for SZA, Doja Cat, and Rihanna. All three singers have had quite a year. Rihanna performed at the Super Bowl Half Time Show. SZA just hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her song “Kill Bill.” Doja Cat is gearing up to release her new album, and just featured on SZA’s song.

“Kill Bill”: SZA’s First Number 1

In addition to her Webby Award, SZA is being honored with her very first number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The singer’s track “Kill Bill” has been blowing up for months on end. It has been receiving a lot of attention lately, particularly on social media. Many TikTok accounts have used parts of the song to soundtrack their videos. In addition, SZA recently released an extremely well-received remix of the song, featuring none other than Doja Cat. The track was up against some pretty stiff competition to hit the top spot. It surpassed other hit songs from notable artists like Ice Spice, Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, and Drake.

After the news hit, the songstress took to Twitter in order to thank everyone that has been supporting her. “I just wanted to say THANK YOU to every single person rooting for me. Thank you doja cat for your talent and time,” she said. “This music sh*t is weird and fickle, but y’all always come together for me at the end of the day. It’s why I always try my hardest to give you my best. That won’t ever stop. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!’ STREAM KILL BILL REMIX (feat doja cat) AND ORIGINAL.” What do you think of the singer’s latest achievements? Sound off in the comments!

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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

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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.

SZA’s ‘Kill Bill’ Has Landed The Singer Her First No. 1 On The ‘Billboard’ Hot 100 Chart

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SZA Spotify VidCon 2022 Day 3 2022
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Lizzo declared 2023 as the year of SZA, and based on the “No Love” singer’s latest career milestones, she’s right. First, her prolific sophomore album, SOS, crushed several music records. Now, as she prepares to head out on the second wing of her SOS Tour across North America and Europe, she has another accolade to celebrate with fans while on the road.

SZA’s breakout single “Kill Bill” has just landed her her first No. 1 song on the Hot 100 charts. Although her SOS album, in which the song appears, sat atop the music charts for over ten weeks, “Kill Bill” is the first song off of it — as well as across SZA’s discography — to make it to the top of Billboard’s charts.

Just a few weeks ago, SZA teamed up with Doja Cat to release an official remix of the track. Their collaborative song “Kiss Me More” is SZA’s longest-charting song (spending 43 weeks on the charts). It peaked at the No. 3 spot.

Before Billboard’s latest announcement, “Kill Bill” held on comfortably at the No. 2 spot. Other songs from album to score placement on the charts include “Nobody Gets Me,” peaking at No. 10, “Shirt,” peaking at No. 11, and “Snooze” at No. 29.

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

SZA Earns First No. 1 Song Of Her Career With “Kill Bill”

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As her career seems to get bigger by the minute, SZA just landed the first No. 1 song of her career on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Kill Bill.” Of course, this follows a very well-received remix featuring Doja Cat that dropped recently, so hype around the track is at an all-time high which is saying much. As one of the standout hits from her most recent album, it’s been hard not to hear the song for the past few months. Moreover, the track beat out other powerhouse cuts from Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, Drake, and many more.

Furthermore, this is yet another move of greatness from SZA, although a recent news story about an odd development also caught many’s attention. Jay Electronica recently revealed in verse form that the “Gone Girl” singer apparently has him blocked on social media. “I did an album with Hov, lames let all their hate vent,” Electron’ rapped. “So I fell back three years like, ‘Go ahead, be great then’ / I popped out with Flygod, I popped out on ‘Donda’ / I popped out with Russ, then Vic Mensa and then Ambré / I popped up at Spades and I popped up at Vandals / And my sister keep asking why I got blocked by Solana [SZA].”

SZA Nabs First-Ever No. 1 Song With “Kill Bill”

Regardless of that strange interaction, SZA had some thankful words for everyone supporting “Kill Bill” and its remix recently. “I jus wanted to say THANK YOU,” the 33-year-old posted on Instagram. “To every single person rooting for me. Thank you doja cat for your talent and time! This music s**t is weird and fickle, but y’all always come together for me at the end of the day. It’s why I always try my hardest to give you my best. That won’t ever stop. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!’ STREAM KILL BILL REMIX (feat doja cat) AND ORIGINAL.”

Meanwhile, the TDE star has the whole industry fiending for a feature or collaboration, including Lil Durk. “@sza the goat,” the Chicago MC wrote on his Instagram Story. “Y’all bet not sleep or get blind. Every female every car every sale she really her… I need you on my album ASAP. A hit not a regular song. Go tag sza blow her s**t down. Tell her Smurk need her.” For the latest on SZA and her incredible career, log back into HNHH.

SZA Has Jay Electronica Blocked

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A strange “beef” of sorts recently popped up, and many believe it’s because of differing astrological beliefs, believe it or not. Moreover, Jay Electronica recently revealed that SZA apparently has him blocked on social media, although he didn’t elaborate much as to why. Regardless, he made the revelation on a bar from his most recent guest verse on one of the most anticipated short releases in hip-hop this year. This week, Swizz Beatz released his Hip Hop 50: Vol. 2 EP on Friday (April 21), which also includes Lil Wayne, Benny The Butcher, Lil Durk, Nas, and more. Specifically, Jay appears on the track “Khalas,” where the MC also addresses the reception to his Jay-Z collab project A Written Testimony.

“I did an album with Hov, lames let all their hate vent,” Jay Electronica raps on the track. “So I fell back three years like, ‘Go ahead, be great then’ / I popped out with Flygod, I popped out on ‘Donda’ / I popped out with Russ, then Vic Mensa and then Ambré / I popped up at Spades and I popped up at Vandals / And my sister keep asking why I got blocked by Solana [SZA].”

Jay Electronica Reveals SZA Blocked Him On “Khalas”

Of course, SZA and Jay Electronica haven’t had any public exchanges or interactions, especially on social media. As such, fans looked to the only time that their two names popped up simultaneously from one party or the other. That came from one of the New Orleans rapper’s Twitter rants, where he asked many in the music industry whether they believe in God. While SZA, Earl Sweatshirt, Questlove, and many others received a mention and question from Jay Electron’, Diddy was the only one to answer.

Also, some fans and outlets theorized that Jay Electronica’s criticism of astrology might have rubbed SZA- an avid believer from what her social media presence indicates- the wrong way. “Motherf***ers will tell you mercury is in retrograde and don’t even have a telescope,” he wrote in his tweet barrage. “Naw, I’m good. Salaam Alaikum.” However, this is all speculation at the end of the day. Maybe other behind the scenes factors hidden from the public contributed to this blocking. After all, it could just be a very innocent or inconsequential reason, as well. Regardless, stick around on HNHH for the latest news and updates on SZA and Jay Electronica.

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SZA Thanks Fans, Addresses Doja Cat

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SZA and Doja Cat recently graced music fans to the “Kill Bill” remix, which got a lot of love from fans. In fact, it was owed equally to the already excellent quality of the original track and Doja’s impressive verse that tied in thematically and narratively with ease. Of course, the TDE singer thanking fans for their support is practically a guaranteed post every week for someone of her success and humility. After the track made waves online over the past week, SZA took to Instagram to pen some words of gratitude. Not only did she address her die-hards and speak on industry pitfalls, but she shouted out the “You Right” artist for her passionate contributions.

“I jus wanted to say THANK YOU,” SZA captioned her post. “To every single person rooting for me. Thank you doja cat for your talent and time! This music s**t is weird and fickle, but y’all always come together for me at the end of the day. It’s why I always try my hardest to give you my best. That won’t ever stop. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!’ STREAM KILL BILL REMIX (feat doja cat) AND ORIGINAL.”

SZA Thanks Fans & Doja Cat For Success Of “Kill Bill” Remix

However, this excitement and gratitude is likely to continue from both artists in the future. On SZA’s end, she recently announced another leg of her highly successful SOS tour. For Doja Cat, this means continued teases and anticipation for her upcoming album, reportedly titled Hellmouth. Recently, she teased each track on the album in the most Doja way possible: playing about two seconds from each on Instagram Live before cutting it off. What’s more is that she kept up a nice mix of sincerity and playful misdirection through her social media messages.

“I also agree with everyone who said the majority of my rap verses are mid and corny,” the 27-year-old posted on social media. “I know they are, I wasn’t trying to prove anything I just enjoy making music but I’m getting tired of hearing y’all say that I can’t, so I will.” In another message, though, she wrote, “The whole album is no longer rap y’all. It’s rock/spoken work and the album title is not ‘Hellmouth’ anymore.” Doja instead teased Moist Holes, a “French conceptual experimental country/bohemian fusion with the essence of blue-grass.” No matter how Hellmouth lands, it’s expected to be every bit as fun, creative, and exciting as the artist herself. Regardless, stay logged into HNHH for the latest news and updates on Doja Cat and SZA.

SZA & Doja Cat’s “Kill Bill (Remix)”: Review

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SZA has recruited Doja Cat for a remix of her song “Kill Bill.” The original song comes from SZA’s latest album SOS which was a big release for the Top Dawg Entertainment songstress. After months of anticipation, teases, mixed messages, and more, it was released on December 9, 2022. SZA promoted the album with a tour and has been taking to stages from coast to coast.

“Kill Bill” was one of the biggest songs on the album, with the name generating buzz before people even heard the song. The title was inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s famed franchise of the same name. Fans have seen SZA and Doja Cat work together before for their Grammy-winning hit “Kiss It Better,” but this song differs from that one in essentially every way.

Original “Kill Bill” Music Video Pays Homage Films

SZA and Doja Cat dropped the “Kill Bill” remix on April 14. Before this, the original song was a single from the album with an accompanying music video. It was directed by Christian Breslauer. Naturally, the visual paid homage to Tarantino’s films. SZA can be seen in a red leather suit much akin to the yellow one the character named The Bride (Uma Thurman) wore in the film. The singer also rides a red motorcycle, and again, The Bride’s was yellow in the film.

Additionally, the opening moments of the video reference one of the most popular scenes in the film. There’s even an animated portion in the clip, much like the anime in the film. These are just touches of how SZA’s team made sure to lean into Tarantino’s classic.

Doja Cat Beasts Out Bars

On the remix version of SZA’s “Kill Bill,” Doja Cat provides a rapped verse. Doja recently explained wanting to focus on rap and has been hinting at a full rap album. There have also been talks of her wanting to work with Jay Versace and 9th Wonder, which the rap world knows as high-level producers. Doja doubled down on this rap-focused career path in a series of recent tweets. Amid these tweets,  there was a retweet from Jay, validating her rap skills.

In the remix, Doja’s rap verse opens the song. Her bars tell a more detailed version of the events from SZA’s original version. Although she often incorporates singing into her music, this time, she held down rapping alone. The verse has a narrative feeling and gives the song a two-part storyline. Doja’s part is the aftermath of what SZA was speaking about. Listeners know SZA’s chorus opens with “I might kill my ex,” and by the time the song ends, she has switched to “I just killed my ex.” Unfortunately, there is no change in the production for Doja’s rapped verse. After hers ends, the song is like SZA’s original solo version.

The “Kill Bill” Remix Is A Treat For Fans

There is also a creative visualizer for SZA and Doja Cat’s “Kill Bill” remix. The visual plays on a loop, with some users believing it was the Spotify Canvas Art for the remix. However, this is not the case. The visualizer features an animated character that represents Doja Cat. She is wearing a red leather suit and carrying a mace. As she walks down a path, red windows with silhouettes are behind her. Characters referencing the Crazy 88 from Kill Bill attack her as she walks, and animated Doja fights them off with her weapon. The entire look of the visualizer resembles an old-school side-scrolling video game.

What did you think of Doja Cat’s verse on the “Kill Bill” remix? Let us know in the comments section.

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Nicki Crowns “Princess Diana,” SZA’S SOS Tour Second Leg, Shenseea’s “Curious,” Dej Loaf Returns & More

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Shenseea Nicki SZA

Nicki Minaj crowns Ice Spice as the princess of rap as she ventures into the world of animation, boasting some of the industry’s most creative minds. Dej Loaf returns with new music, SZA’s SOS Tour is back for a second leg, Shenseea’s latest single, “Curious,” is already buzzing on the charts, and more! Nicki Minaj […]

The post Nicki Crowns “Princess Diana,” SZA’S SOS Tour Second Leg, Shenseea’s “Curious,” Dej Loaf Returns & More appeared first on SOHH.com.

The Best New Music This Week: Ice Spice, Nicki Minaj, Pi’erre Bourne, NLE Choppa, and More

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Image via Complex Original

  • Ice Spice & Nicki Minaj, “Princess Diana (Remix)”


  • Pi’erre Bourne, “Tabloid”


  • NLE Choppa f/ Lola Brooke & Modesty, “Automobooty” 


  • SZA f/ Doja Cat, “Kill Bill (Remix)” 


  • YoungBoy Never Broke Again f/ Mariah The Scientist, “Rear View” 


  • Saba & No I.D., “Back In Office” 


  • Jorja Smith, “Try Me”