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Culture > Entertainment

This Is Not A Drill: We Can *Finally* Stream SZA’s “Diamond Boy”

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Christmas has come early. I don’t know about y’all, but I’ve been patiently wating all day for SZA’s SOS Deluxe: LANA to be released. SZA always serves vocals, beats, and vibes. I almost spat out my coffee when I refreshed her artist profile and saw that she had released the album midday, giving us fifteen new bangers, including another fresh collaboration with Kendrick Lamar on track “30 For 30”. But, another track that caught my eye was “Diamond Boy.”

A snippet had leaked and gone viral on social media earlier this year after SZA gave a surprise performance of this song during Apple Music Live. Her smooth voice, of course, slays, but let’s take a deep dive into what the song actually means.

“Diamond Boy” is a ballad that SZA’s singing, presumably, to her new man. She sings softly about being fully dedicated to this guy, calling him “shiny” and “diamond boy” while offering him a rare, desirable, and irreplaceable quality that proves she definitely isn’t taking him for granted. She sings about loving his soft side and how she thinks about him constantly — even suggesting quitting her job to obsess over him full-time.

In Taylor Swift’s “gold rush” released in 2020, Swift compares her boyfriend to a “gold rush because he is someone who catches her attention, and she wants him all to herself. SZA’s “Diamond Boy” has similar themes of her new fling being wanted and sought after by others. The line “Come get behind me,” captures the messages that are also seen in “Gold Rush” of wanting to hide your seemingly-perfect boyfriend from the limelight. SZA wants to shield him and have him standing behind her, always associated together and trusting one another. 

SZA emphasizes how she doesn’t open up often with guys. She sings, “Usually, I can’t let my guard down/It’s the way you say it so smooth that got you far with me/Usually, I make ‘em work so hard.’ But with him, things are different.” While she still over-thinks if she’s spilled too much and been too vulnerable,  it’s clear in the lines “Am I sayin’ too much?/And baby, if it’s OD, tell me’ that he’s making her feel way more open and comfortable than she’s used to. 

As a SZA fan, it is sweet to see her open up about her feelings this way, as in the past, like in “Garden (Say It Like Dat)” from her 2017 album Ctrl, she sings about wanting emotional vulnerability and support.

For a complex and strong woman like SZA, one can never be too careful when it comes to honeymoon stages. There is a precarious balance when it comes to devoting yourself to another because you don’t want to sacrifice too for yourself. SZA emphasizes this internal battle in “Diamond Boy.” 

To take a pessimistic angle, hopefully, this guy proves himself to be a trustworthy beau who deserves SZA’s heart and isn’t solely swaying her with his words, as she illustrates to us with the line, “It’s the way you say it so smooth that got you far with me.” I’m left wondering if this unknown man’s actions align with his sweet talk. 

Of course, fans are going wild for this song on X/ Twitter, especially those who’ve been waiting patiently for SZA to drop this full song since a snippet of it went viral online. 

I know what I’ll be listening to on repeat for the rest of 2024.

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Eva Sheahan

Queen's U '26

Eva Sheahan is a 3rd year History and English Major at Queen's University.

Eva loves watching movies, reading, and listening to Clairo's Sling. She is the oldest of 5 children and 3 golden retrievers.