| "Drew Barrymore" | ||||
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| Single by SZA | ||||
| from the album Ctrl | ||||
| Released | January 13, 2017 | |||
| Length | 3:51 | |||
| Label | Top Dawg | |||
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| SZA singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Drew Barrymore" on YouTube | ||||
"Drew Barrymore" is a song by American singer SZA, released as the lead single from her debut major-label album, Ctrl . The Dave Meyers-directed music video was released on June 20, 2017, and includes a cameo from actress Drew Barrymore, the song's namesake. [1]
After self-releasing two EPs from 2012 to 2013, American singer-songwriter SZA signed with the record label Top Dawg Entertainment headed by rapper Terrence "Punch" Henderson, with whom she had prior contact starting 2011 during a concert sponsored by a street company where SZA was working at the time. [2] Her first EP under the label was Z (2014), [3] preceded by the single "Child's Play" (2014) featuring Chance the Rapper. [4] After the release of Z, SZA began work on her debut studio album, which had the working title A. [5] During the time, SZA released the standalone singles "Sobriety" (2014) and "TwoAM" (2016), [6] [7] alongside co-writing songs for other artists such as Nicki Minaj and Rihanna. [8]
The idea for the song came from parallels between Rowe's upbringing and Barrymore's film roles, in which she always played an outcast or an "oddball." [9] In an interview with USA Today , SZA revealed she wrote Barrymore a "long, dramatic letter" about "how all her movies shaped me." [10] She detailed how Barrymore's character in Never Been Kissed , nicknamed Josie Grossie, "made me feel better about being awkward and having crooked teeth and just being myself." Her manager never sent Barrymore the letter but reached out to her team. In a brief interview with the Recording Academy, SZA explained that "she connected to Josie Grossie, like [she was] Josie Grossie": "Film just really takes me to a weird place where I'm making a soundtrack to a movie I've already seen that already has a soundtrack, but this is what that movie means to me." [11]
Directed by Dave Meyers, the music video for the song was released on June 20, 2017. [12]
The music video for Drew Barrymore begins with a shot of the New York City skyline, then pans to the inside of a messy apartment littered with wine glasses and people. SZA is shown gazing up into the camera from the couch. SZA and a group of people enter the streets of New York, going across a crosswalk and into a pizza place. The group is then seen on the floor above a sign that says "SELF DEFINED." The day turns into night, and the camera cuts to SZA and her friends sledding. The scene then transitions into SZA wearing only a pink veil squatting in front of a wall of washing machines. SZA is then shown to be in front of a cafe with her friends again while an extremely tall man walks by. The group goes into an apartment, and people start dancing. The camera once again pans to SZA being alone. She takes a smoke outside on a stairwell. Drew Barrymore makes a cameo walking up the stairs, smiling past SZA. The video then transitions into the apartment where SZA is seen in the bathroom, smoking surrounded by other people. A person is shown hovering above the toilet, appearing to be naked. The camera continues to switch between SZA being alone and scenes of people in the apartment kissing, smoking, etc. The video ends with SZA and the group on top of a building, talking and hugging.
SZA debuted the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! , which was met with acclaim from Barrymore herself. [13] She also planned to perform the song on Barrymore's Daytime Talk show The Drew Barrymore Show prior to the launch of her then-untitled second album in 2020, but the appearance never materialized. [14]
Adapted from the liner notes of Ctrl [15]
Recording and management
Personnel
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [16] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada) [17] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) [18] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA) [19] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Solána Imani Rowe, known professionally as SZA, is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She first gained recognition through her self-released EPs See.SZA.Run (2012) and S (2013), which helped her become the first female artist to sign with Top Dawg Entertainment. Her third EP, Z (2014), was her first project to be released to digital retailers and reached the top-ten on the U.S. Independent Albums chart.
Ctrl is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter SZA. It was released on June 9, 2017, by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and RCA Records. The album features guest appearances from Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, James Fauntleroy, and Isaiah Rashad. Production was handled by Craig Balmoris, Frank Dukes, Carter Lang, Scum, and ThankGod4Cody, among others. The album was supported by five singles: "Drew Barrymore", "Love Galore", "The Weekend", "Broken Clocks", and "Garden ", all of which are certified Double Platinum or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"Love Galore" is a song by American singer SZA featuring American rapper and singer Travis Scott. It was released through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records as the second single from the former's debut studio album, Ctrl, on April 28, 2017. The two artists wrote the song with producers ThankGod4Cody, Carter Lang, and Scum, alongside Punch. "Love Galore" received widespread acclaim from music critics and a Grammy nomination at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. An alternate version of the song was included on the deluxe edition of Ctrl, released on the fifth anniversary of the album's release on June 9, 2022, which features an additional verse from SZA that replaces Scott's verse. "Love Galore" became SZA's breakout hit and a commercial success.
The discography of American singer-songwriter SZA consists of 2 studio albums, 1 reissue album, 3 extended plays (EPs), 1 live album, and 48 singles.
"Broken Clocks" is a song by the American singer SZA. The song was originally released as the first promotional single on June 2, 2017, from her debut studio album, Ctrl. It was later sent to urban contemporary radio as the album's fourth single on January 9, 2018. "Broken Clocks" was written by SZA and producer ThankGod4Cody. It samples "West", which was written by River Tiber, Frank Dukes, and Daniel Caesar and performed by the former. SZA performed the song at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.
"The Weekend" is a song by American singer SZA from her debut studio album, Ctrl (2017). It was written by SZA and its producer ThankGod4Cody. The song samples "Set the Mood (Prelude)" from FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), written by Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Danja, who also received writing credits for "The Weekend". "The Weekend" is an R&B and neo soul record that uses a synth-line, hi-hats, drums, a high-pitched vocal sample and clocking key thumps. SZA sings about knowingly being her partner's mistress, comparing herself to the weekend.
"Garden (Say It like Dat)" is a song by American singer SZA. It was released as the fifth and final single from June 19, 2018, from her debut album, Ctrl (2017). The song was serviced to Urban radios on June 19, 2018, by Top Dawg and RCA. The song was produced by Bēkon and additionally produced by Craig Balmoris.
"Hit Different" is a single by American singer SZA featuring Ty Dolla $ign. The two wrote the song with Rob Bisel and producers the Neptunes. It was recorded at the home of producer DJ Khaled and released through Top Dawg Entertainment on September 4, 2020, days after SZA posted on social media suggesting that the record label had been intentionally pushing back the release date of her music. It is a contemporary R&B torch song about a dysfunctional but tempting relationship.
"Good Days" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA. It was released through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA on December 25, 2020, as the lead single from her second studio album, SOS (2022). SZA wrote the song alongside Jacob Collier, who provides background vocals, and with producers Carter Lang, Los Hendrix, and Nascent.
"I Hate U" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA and the second single from her second studio album, SOS (2022). It was released on digital streaming platforms on December 3, 2021, after being uploaded on SoundCloud on August 22. "I Hate U" is an electro-R&B song with a "crunching", light instrumental, containing a relaxed, "ethereal" chorus, and hip hop-influenced verses. A break-up song, it finds SZA detailing what went wrong in a past relationship, expressing resentment towards an ex-partner but acknowledging that she still misses them.
"TwoAM" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA. It is a remix of PartyNextDoor's 2016 single "Come and See Me" featuring Drake, whom SZA briefly dated in 2009. A downtempo song with an R&B instrumental, "TwoAM" is about a dysfunctional couple portrayed in "Come and See Me" and is written from the perspective of the woman in the relationship. She sings about her conflicted feelings for a neglectful boyfriend who values her only for sex; on one hand, she recognizes she must leave him, but on the other, she cannot bring herself to stop being attracted to him.
"Blind" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA from her second studio album, SOS (2022). It is a beatless R&B and folk-pop song, featuring an orchestral production that consists of acoustic guitars, violas, and trumpets. SZA's vocal performance combines a rap cadence and slow falsetto vocals, with added vocal runs. In the song, SZA explores the duality of love and muses on a former relationship, as she expresses her disappointment to a toxic past partner while also expressing her continued attraction to him. For the chorus, SZA admits her insecurities in spite of seeking validation through sex, feeling empty and unable to find self-love within herself as a result of a failed romance. "Blind" also incorporates several pop culture references to figures such as Bob Saget and Jesus.
SOS is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter SZA. It was released on December 9, 2022, by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and RCA Records. The album features guest appearances from Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers, Travis Scott, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. SZA worked with a variety of record producers and songwriters such as Babyface, Jeff Bhasker, Rob Bisel, Benny Blanco, Darkchild, DJ Dahi, Ant Clemons, and Lizzo. It serves as the follow-up to SZA's debut album Ctrl (2017).
"Nobody Gets Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA and the fourth single from her second studio album, SOS (2022). It was sent to Italian radio on January 6, 2023, and US contemporary hit radio four days later. The song peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the Canadian Hot 100, and the Official New Zealand Music Chart.
"Kill Bill" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA and the fifth single from her second studio album, SOS (2022). It is a pop and R&B murder ballad, built around a midtempo, groovy rhythm and a detuned melody. Guitars, a bassline, and a flute that was sampled from a Prophet-6 synthesizer constitute the song's production, which is influenced by the boom bap subgenre of hip hop. Mirroring the plot of the Kill Bill film duology (2003–2004) after which the song is named, the lyrics discuss a fantasy to kill an ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend out of jealousy, and they employ humorous irony alongside violent imagery that contrasts with SZA's soft vocals. "Kill Bill" was sent to US radio on January 10, 2023, after achieving success on streaming services.
"Special" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA from her second studio album, SOS (2022).
"Low" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA from her second album, SOS (2022). It was written alongside Jozzy and producers Rob Bisel, Aire Atlantica, & Alessandro Buccellati, and features adlibs from fellow American singer and rapper Travis Scott. It charted in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, with a number 24 peak on the Billboard Global 200. The song received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 66th ceremony.
"F2F" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA from her second studio album, SOS (2022). "F2F" is a rock song that draws influence from genres such as country, pop rock, and grunge. SZA wrote the song with Lizzo, who provides background vocals, and producers Rob Bisel and Carter Lang. The song was one of around five rock-inspired songs SZA created for SOS, out of a desire to experiment with various genres outside of her usual R&B music. The song begins with acoustic guitar strums before transitioning into a chorus backed by drums and power chords from electric guitars. The lyrics talk about having sex with someone to cope with breaking up with a former partner.
"Open Arms" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA from her second studio album, SOS (2022), featuring American rapper Travis Scott. It is a ballad backed by an acoustic guitar, conceived as part of an effort to explore soundscapes outside of SZA's usual R&B-leaning music. The lyrics are addressed to a former lover, whom the narrator leaves for the sake of her self-esteem despite her persistent feelings of attachment to him. A tribute to SZA's deceased grandmother, Norma Rowe, begins the song, done in the form of a skit; Rowe's vocals featured prominently on SZA's debut album, Ctrl (2017)
Ctrl the Tour was the debut concert tour by the American singer-songwriter SZA. in support of her debut album, Ctrl. The tour consisted of 55 live performances across United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
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| SOS | |||||
| Lana |
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| Soundtrack songs | |||||
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| Other collaborations |
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| Leaked songs |
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