Kendrick Lamar took the world by storm with his SuperBowl LIX Apple Music Halftime Show. Lamar not only wowed viewers with his symbolism, backup dancers, and creative stage sets, he also brought out special guests to keep the energy up. Lamar brought out SZA to perform “Luther” and “All the Stars”, two songs that they will feature on their upcoming conjoined stadium tour setlist. He also brought out Serena Williams and Mustard, enhancing the excitement of his beautifully executed performance.
SZA’s half-time appearance is one fans were anticipating due to the fact that she and Lamar have been working closely this year. What fans weren’t anticipating was that SZA would further reward listeners of her music by dropping four new songs after her Super Bowl LIX performance.Â
SZA recently dropped LANA, the deluxe version of her album SOS. When LANA came out on December 20, 2024, it had 38 tracks included. After her half-time performances, fans noticed that her album now listed 42 tracks. The new four songs are titled: “Joni (feat. Don Toliver)”, “Take You Down”, “Open Arms (just SZA)”, and “PSA”. Each song is special in its own remarks, so let’s take a deep dive into each one!
Joni (feat. Don Toliver)
“Joni” starts off with SZA’s soft vocals and a fast moving beat. This song shows off SZA’s outstanding vocal range, mixing long held notes with quick spoken lines. Don Toliver also takes a softer approach to this song, blending his voice with SZA’s perfectly. The song is only 2 minutes in length, but it packs a powerful punch between the two artists. My favorite line from this song is “I can’t stop till I reach my perfect”.Â
Take You Down
The song is more R&B than Joni, but has a smooth beat that is easy to sway your hips to. “Take You Down” sounds like it could have been put on the original SOS track list, matching the vibes of the other songs featured on that album. SZA takes her female empowered lines to another level with this song, encapsulating the feeling of a confusing yet addictive situationship in her lyrics. My favorite line from this song is “Start doin’ numbers in my head, I calculate”.
Open Arms (just SZA)
“Open Arms” was part of the original SOS drop, but it included a feature from Travis Scott. Fans had gotten their hands on the “just SZA” version before it was officially released, and absolutely adored it. Scott’s feature was perfect for SOS, but hearing SZA’s sole voice on this track is a magical experience. The tempo of this song matches with the majority of SZA’s discography, and the song portrays themes of walking away from something in order to blossom into the best version of yourself. My favorite line from both the version with Travis Scott and the version featuring just SZA is “I gotta let you go”.Â
PSA
“PSA” is perfect for a hot girl walk. It starts off strong, once again bringing up themes of female empowerment. This is the shortest of the four song drop, having a play time of 1 minute and 58 seconds. SZA’s voice sounds beautiful in this track, and it just goes to show that she is one of the best in the music game. My favorite line off of this song is at the very start, “I don’t want nobody callin’ me anything but number one”.Â
SZA continues to amaze and shock her fans with every song she releases. Her half-time performance was beautiful, and her personal discography is powerful. You can catch SZA performing live at her upcoming stadium tour with Kendrick Lamar, or like me, you can listen to her music from the comfort of your own bed!