On December 9th, R&B icon SZA released her long-awaited album, SOS. Following her certified triple platinum 2017 album, Ctrl, where she sings about the growing pains of womanhood, she continues to integrate similar topics of strong emotions and relationships in SOS. The talented singer shows off her songwriting skills relating to people who go through a rollercoaster of emotions when they love someone. The album also features brilliant artists such as Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers and Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
The 23-track album revolves around the feelings of heartbreak, jealousy and regret, especially on the track, “Kill Bill” where she sings about the bitter feeling of her ex moving on to another woman. The lyrics in the pre-chorus, “If I can’t have you, no one should” shows how relationships can sometimes make us have unhealthy and obsessive thoughts.
As SZA reflects and reminisces on her past relationship, she remembers her worth and expresses how she is over finding love through the tracks, “Smoking on my Ex Pack” and “Low” – featuring the background vocals of Travis Scott. Her hit singles, “I Hate U” and “Shirt” also represent her self-love and her healing from past relationships.
Throughout the album, SZA ties her emotional dynamics into her lyrics as we also get to see the loving, intimate side of a breakup with the tracks, “Gone Girl”, “Nobody Gets Me” and “Too Late.” She then surprises us when she delivers a new style of music with a more pop/rock genre in the track “F2F,” which is about her filling voids during a breakup.
With SOS, we see the deeper side of love and the endeavors of healing from rejection and pain that we experience from a relationship. Anyone can see themselves relating to SZA and her lyrics as she shows vulnerability and the discomfort you go through when letting go of someone you love.