SZA

SZA Loves ‘Making Black Music’ But Could Do Without The R&B Classification

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SZA went off across the 23 tracks on S.O.S., her sophomore LP five years in the making that finally arrived on Friday, December 9. The St. Louis-bred artist’s lyricism cuts deep, but her sonic palate is vast. From the pop-punk “F2F,” to the Phoebe Bridgers-assisted “Ghost In The Machine” and tear-jerking ballad “Nobody Gets Me,” the project can’t be pigeonholed. And that’s exactly how SZA wants it.

“I’m so tired of being pegged as [an] R&B artist,” SZA told writer Jewel Wicker for a newly published Consequence cover story. “I feel like that’s super disrespectful, because people are just like, ‘Oh, ’cause you’re Black, this is what you have to be’ — like, put in a box. And I hate that. With songs on this album, it’s supposed to help round out the picture and the story.”

She added, “It’s very lazy to just throw me in the box of R&B. I love making Black music, period. Something that is just full of energy. Black music doesn’t have to just be R&B. We started rock ‘n’ roll. Why can’t we just be expansive and not reductive?”

Lizzo, SZA’s longtime friend, recently expressed a similar sentiment.

“Genre’s racist inherently,” she told Entertainment Weekly, in part. “I think if people did any research they would see that there was race music and then there was pop music. And race music was their way of segregating Black artists from being mainstream, because they didn’t want their kids listening to music created by Black and brown people because they said it was demonic and yada, yada, yada. So then there were these genres created almost like code words: R&B, and then of course eventually hip-hop and rap was born from that. I think when you think about pop, you think about MTV in the ’80s talking about ‘We can’t play rap music’ or ‘We can’t put this person on our platform because we’re thinking about what people in the middle of America think’ — and we all know what that’s code for.”

With Consequence, SZA also discussed her heightened anxiety attached to the demands of her album and the music industry in general, her wish to “disappear … for as long as I can,” and more.

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

SZA on Drake: ‘He’s Never Said Anything Negative About Me. I’m Grateful for That.’

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Sza on Drake: ‘He’s Never Said Anything Negative About Me. I’m Grateful for That.'

SZA pulled up on Big Tigger for Audacy Check In and spoke about her new album S.O.S. and also her current relationship with Drake.

SZA recently appeared on Saturday Night Live with Keke Palmer, an episode with a Drake PSA Skit.

SZA would state the moment was a bit strange but overall she enjoyed it.

“I was like, ‘did they know?’ – but they didn’t ask me to be in it. Nobody said anything…. I feel like Drake has a Regina George quality to him where it’s just kind of like, ‘Have you, or anyone you know been personally victimized?’ He’s like a cool kid, you know. When you’re the popular kid in school, it’s entertaining. It’s entertaining, but you sometimes are taking losses in the midst of that entertainment. The honesty, I respect that. But I definitely laughed real hard…I cackled.”

– SZA

On her current relationship with The Boy, SZA states they are cool “and we’ve always been cool.”

“It’s never been weird. It didn’t come completely out of the blue when he let me know. I didn’t know it was a song with 21 (Savage) or anything like that. But anytime he’s ever mentioned me, it’s always been positive. He’s never said anything negative about me. I’m grateful for that. I think highly of him…He’s King Drake.”

– SZA

Speaking of the album, SZA says she is “excited and also terrified.”

She added, “I personally just want to trash the whole fucking album. And just disappear and be, like, ‘I’m gonna see y’all when I see y’all.’”

Thankfully, she let the album fly. You can hear it all below.

The post SZA on Drake: ‘He’s Never Said Anything Negative About Me. I’m Grateful for That.’ appeared first on The Source.

SZA’s ‘S.O.S.’ To Make No. 1 Debut, Sets New Streaming Record at Spotify

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SZA's 'S.O.S.' Album to Feature Ol' Dirty Bastard, Travis Scott & More

SZA’s S.O.S. is out, and it is running up the numbers. According to HITS Daily Double, the new album will earn between 275,000 and 300,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, giving the TDE songstress her first No. 1 album.

The album will also see SZA tie Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy album with the most top 10 hits in U.S. Apple Music history at 13.

SZA also has the biggest single-day streams for an R&B album in the history of the streaming service, with 38 million.

The new album is 23 tracks in length and highlights Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Travis Scott, Phoebe Bridgers, and Don Toliver as features. You can hear the new release below.

The post SZA’s ‘S.O.S.’ To Make No. 1 Debut, Sets New Streaming Record at Spotify appeared first on The Source.

SZA’s ‘S.O.S.’ Album Has Us All Crying, Including Lizzo

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Lizzo 2019 American Music Awards
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SZA’s latest project seems to have us all in our feelings, including big stars like Lizzo. Fans and celebrities alike have been sharing their thoughts about the TDE’s artist highly anticipated second studio album, S.O.S.

A clip from Lizzo’s Instagram Live has been circulating where the “About Damn Time” singer can be seen giving a teary-eyed reaction to one of the album’s tracks, “Nobody Gets Me,” complete with a nice glass of wine.

Maybe celebrities aren’t so different from us after all.

Fans seem to agree with Lizzo’s sentiments. SZA definitely has a knack for making us all reflect on past relationships and the pitfalls of love.

“Same, girl,” one fan tweeted.

Another person pointed out how relatable Lizzo’s reaction was and admitted we all get a little emotional sometimes.

“She just like me,” they wrote.

Over the weekend, the 33-year-old singer dropped a video to the new song, tapping into her emo side. Shot in greyscale, the video gives off a relatable moody vibe. SZA can be seen atop a roof overlooking the city, adorned with her trademark baggy clothes, as she sings, “How am I supposed to let you go? / Only like myself when I’m with you.”

Watch SZA’s “Nobody Gets Me” video below.

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

SZA Sends Out An “SOS” On Our Weekly “R&B Season” Playlist

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Last Sunday’s R&B Season playlist update was all about Emotional Oranges and their “Let Me Go” single. This weekend, we’re letting SZA send out an SOS on our weekly roundup of new tracks.

The first three slots were reserved for the Top Dawg Entertainment artist. Firstly, we have “Open Arms” featuring Travis Scott, which follows the pair’s ultra-popular “Love Galore” link-up on her debut album.

Next, we have a solo title, “Low,” followed by “Used” with another Cactus Jack superstar, Don Toliver. On the former, SZA sings, “If you see me out in public, you don’t know me, keep it silent / In the bedroom, I be screamin’, but outside, I keep it quiet.”

From the deluxe cut of Lucky Daye’s Candydrip project, we have “Apply Pressure.” As per usual, the R&B superstar’s voice sounds as magical as ever.

Emotional Oranges gets love from us once again with with “Slide All Night” song. It appears on their The Juice: Vol. III project alongside previously released titles like “Bounce” and “Make Me Wanna.”

Ari Lennox is keeping the Christmas cheer in full swing with her cover of “My Favorite Things.” After that, SZA’s “Ghost in the Machine” with Phoebe Bridgers will satisfy your ears.

Following his own successful This Is What I Mean album, Stormzy is assisting Bree Runway on “PICK YOUR POISON.”

Our final selection from SOS is “Blind,” which boasts production from Rob Bisel, Carter Lang, Yuli, and Will Miller. “It’s so embarrassing / All of the love I seek living inside of me / I can’t see, I’m blind,” her voice rings out across the chorus.

Other noteworthy arrivals to captivate the world of R&B this weekend include “Fell Asleep” by Che Ecru and “How Many” from Ryan Destiny.

Check it all out exclusively on Spotify below. Additionally, if you need more new releases to stream, find our Fire Emoji playlist update here.

SZA Compares Drake To Regina George As “SOS” First-Week Sales Projections Surface

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In the midst of SZA’s sophomore album, SOS, finally making its long-awaited debut, the TDE vocalist has been doing her share of press to promote her work. Among other recent interviews, she sat down with Audacity to chat about not only her music but also her love life.

As you may recall, the Ctrl hitmaker was previously name-dropped by Drake during his guest appearance on 21 Savage’s “Mr. Right Now.” The Canadian raps, “Said she wanna f*ck to some SZA, wait / ’Cuz I used to date SZA back in ’08,” on the Savage Mode II track.

During her chat with the outlet, SZA confirmed the long-standing rumours about her and Drizzy. Interestingly, she also compared the father of one to a Mean Girls character. “I feel like Drake has a Regina George quality to him,” she said.

“It’s just kind of like, ‘Have you or anyone you know been personally victimized?’ He’s like a cool kid, you know. When you’re the popular kid in school, it’s entertaining. It’s entertaining, but you sometimes are taking losses in the midst of that entertainment.”

Speaking on the lyrics about her, she specifically noted, “The honesty, I respect that. But I definitely laughed real hard… I cackled.”

Even with their past history, SZA maintains that she and Drake have “always been cool.” She told Audacity, “It’s never been weird. It’s never come completely out of the blue.”

Thankfully, the Scorpion artist had the good sense to warn her before dropping the song. She also says that any mention her ex makes of her has been positive, and no negativity comes from him.

“I’m grateful for that and I think highly of him, and I think it’s really weird that as all these years went past, I am an artist now and I wasn’t then and he’s King Drake,” she said.

Elsewhere in the news, the first-week sales projections for SOS have arrived. As HDD reports, the new album is due to sell 275 – 300K copies in its first week out.

In comparison, her first album, Ctrl, did approximately 60K upon its arrival. If the numbers are accurate, SZA’s project will be among the top 10 biggest debuts of 2022.

If you haven’t already, stream SOS here. Additionally, check back in with HNHH later for more music news updates.

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SZA Thinks Drake ‘Has A Regina George Quality About Him,’ But Don’t Worry, They’re Still Cool

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On the heels of the release of her sophomore album, S.O.S., SZA sat down with Audacy’s Check-In podcast. The interview took place after last Saturday’s episode of Saturday Night Live, where she was the musical guest.

During the aforementioned Saturday Night Live episode, there was a sketch in which ex-flings of rapper Drake formed a union called “The United Tingz Of Aubrey.”

SZA herself was not in the sketch, however, the irony was not lost on fans. In a song called “Mr. Right Now” from 21 Savage & Metro Boomin’s 2020 mixtape Savage Mode II, Drake alludes to a past relationship, as he raps, “Yeah, said she wanna f*ck to some SZA, wait / ‘Cause I used to date SZA back in ’08.”

During her podcast episode, SZA noted that she wasn’t aware of the sketch until the episode’s airing.

“In a strange way, I was like, ‘Did they know?’” she said. “But they didn’t ask me to be in it. Nobody said anything. … I feel like Drake has a Regina George quality to him where it’s just kind of like, ‘Have you or anyone you know been personally victimized?’ He’s like a cool kid, you know. When you’re the popular kid in school, it’s entertaining. It’s entertaining, but you sometimes are taking losses in the midst of that entertainment. The honesty, I respect that. But I definitely laughed real hard…I cackled.”

Despite the comparison to the Mean Girls bully, SZA insists that it’s all love between her and Drizzy.

“We’re cool. And we’ve always been cool,” she said. “It’s never been weird. It didn’t come completely out of the blue when he let me know. I didn’t know it was a song with 21 [Savage] or anything like that. But anytime he’s ever mentioned me, it’s always been positive. He’s never said anything negative about me. I’m grateful for that. I think highly of him…He’s King Drake.”

SZA’s ‘S.O.S.’ Had Fans Thanking The Heavens Over Her Long-Awaited Return

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“Yeah… SZA put her whole p*ssy in this album.”

That’s just one of the exuberant tweets proliferating on Twitter in the wake of S.O.S., the long-awaited sophomore album from TDE singer SZA. SZA finally released her second album following a five-year hiatus after her debut album CTRL. For a while, it felt a lot like Detox or Chinese Democracy, one of those albums that might never actually come out and fade into urban legend status. But with its release today, it gave fans plenty of reasons to break out some of their most outlandish reactions.

Those reactions ranged from relief at “surviving the album drought” to being overwhelmed with emotion at the album’s raw, vulnerable content.

Some fans were dismayed to find out that SZA plans for S.O.S. to be her swan song. The singer has often expressed her discontent with the recording industry and the trappings of fame, threatening to walk away permanently.

One thing is for certain: The wait appears to have been worth it, giving SZA’s longsuffering fans a wide-ranging body of work with relatable themes, thrilling collaborations, and nostalgic, pop-punk content. Whether it really does turn out to be her final album or not, S.O.S. is living up to the hype early on.

S.O.S. is out now via TDE and RCA.