SZA 'SOS' Album Review

By Julia Keenan, Content Management Lead

It is no secret that SZA's newest album was predicted to make a massive splash in the industry's waters. The artist's drop SOS on December 9th has remained #1 on Billboard's Top 200 list for over two months straight. Safe to say, all SZA stans have our girl on REPEAT. She did not come to play. This is not the same woman we found, knew, and loved when she released CTRL. SOS, quite literally meaning 'Save our Ship,' essentially translates to SZA's cry for help, or in better terms, a signal to reclaim herself.

"Kill Bill," cue mass applause, not only has the second track of the album climbed the charts while becoming a widespread phenomenon via TikTok, but it is also vibing with the vast majority. The melodic tunes start the track off strong, leading into some heavy but vibey lyrics. The theme is attributed to Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Volume I and II, in which SZA describes the anticipation of killing her ex. She really dropped the mic on this one. Working our way down from the top of the album and to track three, "Seek and Destroy" is a song that never fails. This song speaks for itself. The second verse's lyrics resonated with so many loyal fans over the internet. Beginning with, "Now that I ruined everything, I cannot complain. Now that I ruined everything, I'm so fucking free," suggests how her past mistakes have influenced her present state of mind. The last two lines of the verse counteract her original statements with a more self-positive outlook. "Now that I've ruined everything keep it all for me. Now that I've ruined everything, space is all I need." Her healing stage begins after she takes accountability for her role in her own pain. And that's on GROWTH.

Talk to meeeeee in ya love language. Ugh, "Love Language" has everybody hooked. From the subtle melodies to sampling her earlier track "Hit Different." This song is straight up a moment. More female artists must showcase their feminine perspective from start to finish.

Her song is a reminder of how important recognition in a relationship is. Simple love proclamations reiterate how things often get lost in translation when she yearns to show affection toward another soul. Also, the violin solo at the end. Iconic.

"Blind." First of all, if you have not had the chance to watch her perform this song live on SNL, move accordingly. This song makes me want to pull up to a speakeasy and riddle my life story. The track soft launches how relationships prevent us from moving forward. When we see what we want to see, our connections hinder how we show up in our relationships, separating us from our true reality. Hey, we've all done it. SZA stays reminding us to learn from our experiences and keep it moving.

"Notice Me" is the ultimate situation-ship BOP. A little bad bitch energy there, SZA describes the feeling of not knowing where you stand with someone. Yearning for more recognition, just wondering how good it is, and enjoying the potential.

"Trying to grow without hating the process" an intro we will sing along to loudly and proudly. "Gone Girl" and "Conceited"—I intentionally meant to group these two tracks; they align with each other rhythmically and spiritually. When we reach "Far", this queen's unreal energy is just pouring out. Her songwriting style stays on point through its truthful and relatable verbiage.

SZA showcased her growth from the start to finish of this album. A long-awaited masterpiece. Her fans are so die-hard for her music especially after growing with her over the past few years. This album has managed to volumize SZA's talents louder and stronger. She sets an example for other female artists to follow and imprints her success with ease, poise, and integrity. She is looking forward to what will come in her journey as an artist for the next five years. Quite literally, I'll wait for her music forever.