Solána Imani Rowe, popularly known as SZA, released her second studio album SOS on December 9, 2022, and is still hitting top charts. For the past eight weeks, this trending LP has stayed No. 1 album on the Billboard charts besides dipping one week to second place. It’s no wonder why with the complex narrative weaved in each song and smooth R&B sounds with notable rock influence overlaying the entire piece.
Fans have been sustaining off of singles and collabs since the singer’s debut album Ctrl five years ago. SZA delivered with this newest release offering over an hour of listening time and 23 songs, including revisiting past hits.
SZA has always been open about mental health, especially in her music, but SOS seemed to lay out every emotion she is going through and felt in the past few years. Arguably the most popular song “Kill Bill” explores the contradiction of wanting revenge on an ex-partner while loving them at the same time. Contradiction and confusion are main themes of SOS whether it be about love, fame, or independence.
While I have never been in a relationship, I still related to SZA’s confusion in navigating this world. Many of the songs embraced toxic mindsets such as “Snooze” showing the attachment, border lining dependence, Rowe had with her ex even though it hurts her in the end as she sings, “I’ll touch that fire for you.”
It is in these raw lines SZA also shows positive growth. She jumps from the controlling, jealous, toxic person she once was to now the healthy mindset she is striving for. As “Gone Girl” expresses the singer’s struggle to “find deeper meaning in nonsense,” even while “still anticipating the worst.” The process of achieving mental security is not an easy one.
SOS combines these beautifully curated lyrics with a melodic voice that is distinctly SZA’s. Reflecting the contradictions in her mind, the album’s melody goes from classic R&B to punk rock to rap. I especially liked the opening song “SOS” which, true to its name, included a morse code distress call in the first line. It has a 90’s hip-hop vibe while also incorporating modern R&B which I loved to hear.
SZA sings beautifully in “Ghost in the Machine” as her echoey voice is followed by warbled belts that leave you breathless. This song was a personal favorite of mine because of the unique song structure and its foundation on morality versus humanity, an interesting topic that I suggest looking into.
No genre was safe from SZA seen by the pop rock track “F2F.” I was surprised to hear electric guitars making an appearance with SZA known for her R&B style. I do appreciate the singer opening to different genres, but in this instance, it was not something that I liked.
The album cover features SZA on a diving board overlooking oceans of blue waves that have no end. She almost disappears in the background reflecting the tumultuous emotions in the album and her life. Many fans noted the cover resembled the 1997 photo of Princess Diana sitting similarly on a yacht dive board with the same isolated look. This was taken one week before the royal’s death.
Adding this small detail was creative brilliance in an artistic and musical sense as the photo further illustrates the mindset SZA is expressing. I immediately understand the message she was trying to convey by only looking at the album cover.
Overall, I highly suggest listening to SOS especially if you are an R&B fan. Love mostly dominates the tracks but there are plenty of other themes she delves into, so put some headphones on, kick back, and enjoy a musical masterpiece.