SZA

SZA Talks About Early Frustrations With TDE In New Interview

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SZA might be on top of R&B right now, but that didn’t come without some obstacles. The SOS singer recently went into depth about her early frustrations with TDE in a new interview with Billboard.

She said that she didn’t mind being signed to the rap-heavy label, saying that she felt like she was always “the first to do something.”

“I didn’t mind the lack of female artists. I just felt like I was always the first to do something, and that was frustrating. It was me telling y’all I need hair and makeup because I’m super hands-on, on top of being a woman. I’m making PowerPoints trying to explain why I want to be in this type of publication versus that type of publication.”

She went on to say how both her and TDE grew in the process because neither one of them had done something like this before, which pushed them to become “randomly innovative.”

“It was tough,” she recalled. “But by the same token, I think all of us grew together at the same time. They never had to do anything like this before, and we were all being so randomly innovative together by trying to figure out what makes sense. And I also liked that they weren’t trying to clean me up and look like anybody else.”

She added that creatively, they let SZA do her thing. “They were just taking me as I was. That was really priceless, just to express myself visually how I wanted to and without the judgment of “Let’s make her pretty or sparkly and shiny and sterile.”

The post SZA Talks About Early Frustrations With TDE In New Interview appeared first on The Source.

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

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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.

SZA Gave Chlöe A Huge Compliment And Got An Equally Loving Message In Return

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SZA was named Billboard‘s Woman Of The Year today, February 22. It stands to reason, considering she hasn’t stopped breaking Billboard charting records since the December release of SOS. She has every right to talk her talk right now, but instead, she’s still coming to terms with SOS succeeding at all.

“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,” SZA told Heran Mamo for the accompanying cover story, speaking of SOS logging seven consecutive weeks (and nine total weeks) at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

She also used the interview to shine a light on other women in music:

“There’s nobody in the industry that f*cks with me and that I f*ck with the way that Lizzo f*cks with me and the way I f*ck with her. She never made me feel like because I don’t have a No. 1 song or I [previously] didn’t have a No. 1 album that I wasn’t capable. She’d been telling me that she thought I was the one for years. The way that she thinks of me so highly as a human being and as an artist means so much to me. I just have never met anybody like her in this entire industry.

“There’s a lot of women I look up to in general that I don’t know personally, but watching them is incredible. Beyoncé, but who doesn’t look up to Beyoncé? I love Jozzy’s and Starrah’s energy. I love the way Nija is from New Jersey and has been able to transmute her energy from being a writer to an artist. Kehlani’s hella effervescent, and you can just feel the energy when she’s performing. I love Chloe Bailey and her commitment to perfection — I feel like she’s going to be a legend. Even Taylor [Swift] letting that whole situation go with her masters and then selling all of those f*cking records. That’s the biggest ‘f*ck you’ to the establishment I’ve ever seen in my life, and I deeply applaud that sh*t.”

Chlöe responded to SZA’s shout-out by tweeting, “Love you always @sza the feeling is mutual.”

Chlöe has a chance to prove SZA right with In Pieces, her debut solo album due out on March 31. She’s already made quite the stir with singles “Pray It Away” and “How Does It Feel” featuring Chris Brown.

Meanwhile, SZA is continuing to ride the success of SOS on her supporting headlining tour, which hits Chicago’s United Center tonight. Omar Apollo is the opener.

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

SZA Explains Frustrations With TDE Early In Her Career

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As S.O.S. continues to break records, SZA is the new cover girl for Billboard. The outlet named the singer their Woman of the Year, and she caught up with them to pose in a stunning photoshoot and speak on the album and the evolution of her career. In 2013, SZA’s life changed when she signed a deal with Top Dawg Entertainment. The Carson, California-based label was making waves with their Rap-heavy roster, but the songbird caught their attention. Soon, she was the First Lady of TDE.

“I didn’t mind the lack of female artists. I just felt like I was always the first to do something, and that was frustrating. It was me telling y’all I need hair and makeup because I’m super hands-on, on top of being a woman. I’m making PowerPoints trying to explain why I want to be in this type of publication versus that type of publication.”

SZA Remembers Early Days With TDE

The climb to the top wasn’t easy for SZA. “It was tough,” she recalled. “But by the same token, I think all of us grew together at the same time. They never had to do anything like this before, and we were all being so randomly innovative together by trying to figure out what makes sense. And I also liked that they weren’t trying to clean me up and look like anybody else.”

It was important for the singer to have certain levels of creative freedom. It seems that TDE let her express herself as is. “They were just taking me as I was,” she further shared. “That was really priceless, just to express myself visually how I wanted to and without the judgment of “Let’s make her pretty or sparkly and shiny and sterile.”

SZA Reveals S.O.S. Deluxe Will Arrive Soon

With S.O.S. taking over playlists and charts, a deluxe version is only fitting. SZA shared that the updated installment of her sophomore record is on the horizon, and it will host an impressive 10 extra tracks. “After I do the deluxe, I’m hoping to be able to accept that this chapter is done,” said SZA. “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.”

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.

What Is Omar Apollo’s Song Setlist For The ‘SOS Tour’ With SZA?

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Omar Apollo Warner Music Group Pre-Grammy Party 2023
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The year is filled to the brim with highly-anticipated concert tours and festivals. Chart-topping recording artist SZA’s SOS Tour is near the top of the list. The “Kill Bill” singer launched her North American tour wing of her tour yesterday (February 21) in Columbus, Ohio, at The Jerome Schottenstein Center.

Over the next few weeks, the songwriter will embark on a 15-city tour with support from singer Omar Apollo. The Grammy Best New Artist nominee has quickly gained a fan base due to his deeply emotional approach, which will fit in perfectly with SZA’s discography while on tour. Although SZA’s setlist will fluctuate across each night’s performance, Omar Apollo’s growing fame and discography doesn’t offer as much flexibility.

According to setlist.fm, Omar’s setlist is a mix of both fun and sad songs. View Omar Apollo’s setlist and the remaining SOS Tour dates below.

1. “Useless”
2. “Killing Me”
3. “Endlessly”
4. “3 Boys”
5. “Petrified”
6. “Invincible”
7. “Tamagotchi”
8. “Kamikaze”
9. “Want U Around”
10. “Evergreen”
11. “Go Away”

02/24 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
02/25 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
02/27 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
02/28 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
03/02 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
03/04 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
03/07 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
03/09 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
03/10 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
03/13 — San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
03/14 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
03/16 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
03/18 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
03/19 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
03/22 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Kia Forum

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

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

Lizzo Says That 2023 Is The Year Of SZA: ‘You Will Always Be The One’

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Earlier this month, Lizzo shared a “Special” remix featuring SZA. The crossover was expected since SZA revealed in an interview in December that the pair recorded at least five or sings songs together.

“She’s another person who has hella [wide] music tastes and doesn’t fit in anybody’s box of anything,” SZA said about Lizzo in that interview. “She makes it seem like she doesn’t even care, like she just does whatever she wants. And I just love being with her, just as a friend and hanging out. So whenever she comes to a studio, I just feel like, ‘Let’s drop into some bullsh*t.’”

Now, Lizzo is singing SZA’s praises. In a new article on Billboard celebrating SZA’s status as their Woman Of The Year, Lizzo shared some kind words about the “Kill Bill” singer. “I declare 2023 the year of SZA. But SZA has been Woman Of The Year for me for at least a decade,” she said. “I’m always such a fan of her music, a fan of her artistry, but I really love her as a friend. Solána Imani Rowe, you will always be ‘the one.’”

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