SZA’s return to music is an S.O-Yes
Few artists are able to take a nearly six-year break between albums and still come back with immense success. R&B sensation SZA is one of them. After releasing her debut album “Ctrl” in 2017, SZA rode the success of that project all the way until this past Friday, when she finally released her long-awaited follow-up to her critically acclaimed first album.
“SOS,” SZA’s sophomore LP, is an exciting venture into a new world of music genres, lyricism and themes for the artist. Standing with a whopping 23 tracks, SZA crafts an emotional realm of musical excellence with songs that will please anybody who gives a listen.
It was Christmas Day 2020 when the world got their first taste of SZA’s second full-length project, with the release of “Good Days.”
The single skyrocketed to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming SZA’s first top 10 solo hit. Nearly a full year later in December 2021, she released the second single, “I Hate U,” outdoing “Good Days” as an even more successful hit, peaking at No. 7 on the Hot 100.
Ten months of waiting later, the highly anticipated “Shirt” was released (which was originally briefly featured at the end of the “Good Days” music video in March 2021). Once again, SZA had a hit on her hands, with the song reaching Billboard’s top 10.
Three top 10 singles later, “SOS” has finally arrived. It’s a bit of an unconventional strategy for an artist to release singles with such a large gap in between each one, but evidently the strategy was successful, as “SOS” had already racked up over one billion streams before releasing – thanks to those three hits.
The album opens with a simple, yet heart wrenching line: “Last night, I cried.” The title track is a grandiose return to music for SZA, setting the tone for the highly cathartic and emotional themes in the coming tracks. The title track even samples from a fellow R&B and pop legend, Beyoncé, taking lyrics from her song “Listen.”
After opening the album on a harrowing note, sadness turns to spite and anger in “Kill Bill,” a high-energy revenge anthem where the “Kiss Me More” singer describes being more than ready to move on from a rocky relationship. The message is clear from SZA just based on the first two tracks: get ready for an emotional journey that flies across all genres.
The animosity continues with “Seek and Destroy,” opening the track with the lyric, “You push past my own capacity, boy.” The song is one of the biggest bright spots on the record, being a return to form but also bringing a new element of electricity and emotion to the lyrics that SZA has never fully tapped into before. She keeps the flow going with “Low” and “Love Language,” reminding viewers of the troubles of romance that SZA has been through.
The genre versatility really begins with track number six, titled “Blind.” Performed for the first time on “Saturday Night Live” on Saturday, Dec. 3, the song is a stripped-down, acoustic-influenced track, a genre SZA dabbles in for the first time on this record. The switch-up works surprisingly well, with SZA’s stunning vocals allowed to shine through with minimal instrumentation. The acoustic sound continues through the rest of the record, on songs like “Nobody Gets Me” and “Ghost in the Machine,” which features alternative music sensation Phoebe Bridgers.
“Nobody Gets Me,” a country-infused ballad about finding somebody who finally understands you, stands out sonically from the rest of SZA’s discography, showing the new age of versatility that the “All the Stars” singer is implementing throughout this new era. “Ghost in the Machine” is another album highlight, a track that seamlessly blends the two very different genres of SZA and Bridgers, which in turn creates a mash-up of musical talent that was unexpected, yet completely successful.
The biggest standout on the entire 23-track run, however, is track number 13, titled “F2F.” Upon the first listen, the song is a massive change in direction from SZA’s usual artistry. SZA trades in her R&B expertise for experimentation in other areas; pop-punk and rock. The heavy guitar strings on the chorus and drum beating throughout the track create an ensemble of music that doesn’t sound anything like typical SZA, but is also a SZA song to its core. The irresistibly catchy musical production and unique sound of the track make it a standout for SZA’s entire career in music thus far.
Other exceptional tracks include “Smoking on my Ex Pack,” a fast-paced song with an unusual flow that makes for an entertaining first listen, and “Special,” a thematically unique track about the struggles of dealing with internalized insecurities and how those can reflect on others surrounding you. The album benefits greatly from such a wide variety of elements and creates an experience for the listener that is unique to other projects they may have listened to featuring SZA in the past.
Twenty-three tracks is a hefty amount of music to put into one record, and in some regards, it doesn’t really work in SZA’s favor. At times, tracks can fade into the background and from the memory of the listener, making the LP feel just a tad bit bloated. A more concise 13 to 16 tracks would’ve worked in SZA’s favor, just as was done with “Ctrl.”
“SOS” is a worthy addition to SZA’s bombastic discography and a huge contender for one of 2022’s finest records.
The seamless mixing of genres and honest lyricism makes for a memorable record that makes the five-and-a-half-year wait all the more satisfying in the end.
Although the record is rather lengthy, it’s worth sifting through to find the gems that have already cemented themselves as iconic parts of SZA’s musical career. It’s comforting to know that patience leads to satisfaction regarding SZA’s work, and it will also be incredibly exciting to see what she does next.
