With 2.3 billion streams, SZA reigns as a leading artist since she released her first album “CTRL” in June of 2017. Typically, she refers to herself as “SZA”, but her real name reads Solána Imani Rowe. Finding random letters from the Supreme Alphabet, she followed the trend like RZA and Wu-Tang Clan. In a Muslim household, she grew up and maintained strong religious morals. The last two letters in her name stand for “Zig-Zag” and “Allah”. Ultimately, the first letter, S, stands for either “savior” or “sovereign”. As both a singer and songwriter, her music is completely her emotions and writing. Any listener can hear the hurt she churned into self-love and appreciation for her experiences. A powerful voice blended with artistical lyrics exactly describes the thirty-year-old powerhouse.
Years before her first popular release, she drafted three EPs to introduce her voice to the world. The first named, “See.SZA.Run”, then “S” in 2013, and finally “Z”. Three of which never truly hit the height of the charts that she appears on today. To further her professional career, she signed with hip-hop record label Top Dawg Entertainment. All thanks to her previous boyfriend’s clothing company, she gained exposure to Kendrick Lamar. The two artists did not lose touch and her music ended up in the TDE hands. More recently, SZA switched to WME in 2020. Reasoning her decision, the artist thought a more broad audience would be possible with the new label.
Incredible work-ethic led her to the opportunity to write for other female artists with a similar ambiance. Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and Rihanna are a few women that stand out. Those three singers only put out the best versions of songs, and they chose SZA’s! Truly, the rising star was on the road to an appreciated career of heartfelt songs and albums. Not only does she allow others to feel understood, but she makes car rides and showers presentable entertainment. Vibrations of the soft rhythm and blues and intertwined aspects of pop, soul, funk, and hip-hop. Even signs of electronic music types in instrumental solos and backgrounds. Music like SZA’s is unstoppable and fierce in the industry that seems to stick to the usual melodies and tones.
Collaborations are a crucial part of the singer’s growth and development as a celebrity and performer. Learning from the best of the best is simply a secret ingredient to her beloved recipe to success. Maroon 5 on “What Lovers Do”, a joint album with Tame Impala and Mark Ronson, and had Kendrick Lamar on “All The Stars” completely demonstrate the inclusivity SZA prioritizes in her ever-evolving artistry.
2017 raked in around five Grammy nominations as a result of her “CTRL” album. “Best New Artist” is an honorable mention coming from elite members of music creators (artists, engineers, producers, and song-writers).
Dynamics of her recent disclosures allude to the pause she put on an official album. Yet, the singer does admit that songs are always in the works- an album may just be an eventual product. In the next year or two, she may sweep the world of its feet with a desired set of songs. From an interview with Rolling Stone, she instantly denied the rumor that her album wait is due to the fact that she had a trilogy of albums in place. To add even more heaviness to the rumor, people claimed she would retire simultaneously. Luckily, we got the raw answers from the star herself.
Apple Music and Spotify both showcase SZA’s songs and rake her in many, many streams. The creativity she incorporates into each and every song makes for an ethereal indulgence for listeners all around the world. From relationship advice to religion, her lyrics focus on the true meaning of lessons learned. SZA is undeniably a moral influencer for her population of fans.