Solána Imani Rowe, more commonly known as SZA, has currently been dominating the music industry with her sophomore album SOS. At the time of writing, her newest album has spent ten weeks at the number-one spot on the Billboard 200. When it was announced back in December of 2022 that SZA would be officially touring for the first time in five years, fans were ecstatic. Her tour kicked off Feb. 21 at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio but it’s far from over. Here are all the details you need to know about what’s to come!
Opener
Before SZA takes the stage each night, Best New Artist nominee Omar Apollo performs some of his current, most popular songs. The mood of the songs from his setlist are very diverse, with some pumping up the crowd while others provide a somber mood that audience members may deeply connect with. The 11 songs he performs on the tour are “Endlessly,” “Evergreen,” “Go Away,” “Invincible,” “Kamikaze,” “Killing Me,” “Petrified,” “Tamagotchi,” “Useless,” “Want U Around” and “3 Boys.”
Beautiful Set Design
SZA and her team worked hard when coming up with innovative ideas that could be used to showcase the melancholy yet powerful theme of the album. The show opened with SZA sitting on a diving board in front of projected images of water, a nod to the cover of her album. A screen that displayed the visuals of water descended in front of SZA that depicted a woman—presumed to be the “Kill Bill” singer—jumping into the water, allowing her to have enough time to prepare for the spectacular show to come.
The rest of the show told the story of a ship sailing across the sea. Although serene at first, the climax of the show has the ship sailing through rough waters, leaving the boat splitting in half and sinking. From there, SZA hopped onto a raft that propelled her through the air above the audience while she sang some of her more emotional songs. After coming back down, she continued with the shipwreck theme for a little longer before finally ending on the same diving board that she started on with visuals behind her of the sun over the ocean, leaving her fans with the message to keep fighting. There are always better days to come.
Songs to Expect
During the approximately two hours SZA is on stage, she goes through more than 30 of her hit songs that come from both her albums Ctrl and SOS and collaborations with other artists. Some of the songs that are from her 2017 album Ctrl that fans can expect to hear are “Broken Clocks,” “Drew Barrymore,” “Love Galore,” “Prom” and “Supermodel.” However, most of the songs she decided to include come from her 2022 SOS album. These songs include “Good Days,” “Kill Bill,” “Low” and “Nobody Gets Me.” Additionally, in one of the most passionate parts of the show, SZA shows off her incredible singing abilities by performing her hit collaboration recorded with Kendrick Lamar, “All the Stars.” This moment serves as one of the many stand-out moments from the tour that will leave fans starstruck and yearning for more.
Highly Regarded amongst Critics and Fans
Although the “Shirt” singer is still touring, critics and fans alike can’t stop praising her. As expressed by the online website The Hatchet, it was written that the tour was “well worth the six-year wait” and that “SZA has proven she can do it all, from intricate storytelling to a movie-level production to gorgeous vocals.”
Moreover, Billboard claimed that “the songs and the staging said everything and delivered a message that she’s truly made a next-level step in her career.” As for her fans on Twitter, they are just as complimentary and supportive. One twitter user stated that every time they watch a clip from the tour, they “cry a little.” Another user expressed how SZA “did so good” and “brought the album to life,” leaving the user wanting to “go to another show on the tour.” The number of compliments SZA and her team are receiving should come as no surprise considering all the hard work they put into crafting the tour.
Upcoming Tours
Curious as to when the next shows will be? Click here to find out more information about each venue and pricing!
Consensus
Although this is SZA’s first arena tour, the show she is putting on for her adoring fans is exceptional! As a college student, I have been surrounded by nonstop talk and excitement around SZA finally going on tour and have seen several clips while exploring YouTube Shorts. Through the process of writing this article, I was given an even greater insight into the loyal fanbase SZA has and how her music truly can resonate with any person from any generation. As she continues dominating the charts and delivering smash hits and incredible shows for her fans, it is safe to say that SZA is only just getting started on her journey to a very bright future!
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