SZA Essentials

After self-releasing a couple of EPs in her early twenties, SZA (born Solána Rowe in 1989 in St Louis, Missouri) became the first female artist signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, joining future collaborators Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock. Her 2017 debut album, Ctrl, put her at the vanguard of contemporary R&B, mixing the expressivity of classic soul with a hazy, synth-heavy atmosphere and a playful sense of lyricism (“Broken Clocks”, “Garden (Say It Like Dat)”, “Tread Carefully”) that brought out Rowe’s inner monologue. Following a five-year gap, 2022’s SOS crystallised her status as one of the most dynamic and commercially dominant singer-songwriters of her era. Coated in an eclectic mix of hip-hop, R&B, folk, electronics and more, the sophomore LP (and its 2024 deluxe edition, with 15 new tracks) finds SZA tackling imperfect love, with tracks like the chart-topping “Kill Bill” and the Grammy-winning “Snooze” embodying the type of songwriting that can be as ironic as it is heartfelt—a trademark for artists that turn emotional chaos into idiosyncratic grace.