"Drive" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA from Lana (2024), the reissue of her second studio album SOS (2022). It is an acoustic R&B ballad, backed solely by a guitar. Lyrically, it explores themes of solitude, escapism, and struggles with fame. In the song, SZA sings about going on a late-night drive to ease her anxious mind, and she also taunts adversaries jealous of her success. Her vocal delivery ranges from rapping to melodic singing, and the lyrics' tone varies from melancholic to braggadocious.
The song was released on December 20, 2024, by Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records as the reissue's promotional single. An accompanying music video, starring filmmaker Ben Stiller, premiered upon its release. "Drive" debuted within the top 10 of the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, whereas on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at number 51. In reviews of Lana, critics wrote positively about "Drive", mainly due to the introspective lyrics; some called it an album highlight.
Background
SZA first announced a deluxe edition of her second studio album, SOS (2022), on social media upon the album's release.[1] She continued to reveal more details in 2023; in August, she told Variety that its tracklist would consist of scrapped songs alongside post-album tracks.[2]
During promotion for SOS's sixth single "Snooze", SZA posted two behind-the-scenes clips of its music video on Instagram. Each snippet was set to unreleased music.[3] One song had a yet-unknown name. Rolling Stone and Vibe reported on the lyrics; some lines read: "I keep pretending, everyone's as good as me… All my exes still love me / Call me up, he wanna freak."[3][4] The lyrics are from the song "Drive", a track from SOS's deluxe reissue Lana (2024).[5]
Music and lyrics
"Drive" is an R&B song,[6] It is backed by only one instrument, which is a softly played acoustic guitar.[7] SZA's vocal delivery varies per verse, from freestyle-like rapping to melodic singing.[8][9] Critics have described the song's sound as "chill",[10] soulful,[11] and restrained.[12] "Drive" was produced by ThankGod4Cody and Billy Lemos.[13]
The lyrics of "Drive", a sentimental ballad,[14] explore feelings of loneliness, anguish, and sometimes aggression.[15][16] Its themes include struggles with existential crises,[7] the search for escapism,[15] and alienation despite one's fame.[14] Shaad D'Souza of Pitchfork described "Drive" as metatextual, writing that it tackles many emotions present throughout Lana—like grandeur, insecurity, and anger—all in one track.[8]
In the song, SZA sings about going on a late-night drive, to take her mind off her problems.[17] She mentions her celebrity status as one source of her woes, saying that despite her success, she remains in solitude.[14] SZA sings in the pre-chorus: "I been up 'til sunrise, headed to nowhere/ Hopin' that someone's missin' me somewhere."[18] In other lyrics, SZA's tone is more aggressive, braggadocious, and self-assured.[7][8] Much of the first verse is about her taunting adversaries jealous of her success,[17][19] in ways such as boasting that her ex-boyfriends still want her back.[17] She tells herself that to become more hopeful and loving, hatred must not distract her:[20] "I can't succumb like these cum-guzzlers at all."[16]
Release
After a long series of delays, SZA revealed the release date of Lana to be December 20, 2024.[21] The announcement came with a teaser for the song; it stated that a music video for "Drive" was to premiere on the same day.[22] The song was released at midnight EST, a few hours before Lana,[23] as a Spotify-exclusive track.[24] "Drive" peaked at number 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart,[25] and it debuted within the top 10 of Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[26] On the Billboard Global 200, it peaked at number 122.[27]
Many critics praised "Drive" in reviews of Lana. Some called it an album highlight, citing the song's introspective and ruminative lyrics. One such critic was Mackenzie Cummings-Grady of Billboard, who ranked "Drive" as the second-best track from Lana for the range of emotions present throughout the song.[7] Another, Jem Aswad of Variety, praised "Drive" for providing the album with small "flashes of revenge and perseverance".[10] D'Souza ended his review of Lana by writing: "SZA's music can feel claustrophobic at times simply because of how deeply it is rooted in her own thoughts. 'Drive,' on the other hand, feels infinite—the sound of total freedom."[8]
Another point of commentary was the song's acoustic sound. For HotNewHipHop reviewer Gabriel Bras Nevares, its minimal production was elevated by the way SZA combined her lyrical singing with her switching rap flows.[9] Mackenzie Cummings-Grady thought that a stripped-down production for "Drive" allowed her to seamlessly showcase her various personas. He listed them as follows: "her self-sufficient rapper, the sensitive empath, and the heartbroken loner still yearning for human connection."[7]
Music video
The music video was directed and edited by Bradley J. Calder.[28] It features filmmaker Ben Stiller, co-director of the science fiction TV series Severance.[29]
Throughout the video, the character drives an SUV on an empty road at night, lip syncing the lyrics and trying to stay awake.[30][31] In a frantic state, he wildly shakes his head,[32] performs a doughnut stunt, and sticks himself out of the window.[33] As the song ends, the character exits the car to "ghost ride the whip", or dance beside and around the vehicle.[34] He returns to the car and drives away.[15]
The camera then pans to a nearby SZA, who frolicks and crawls in a marsh by the roadside.[17][35] She is dressed as a bug, a feat achieved through black body paint and a prosthetic mask. During the clip, a snippet of the Lana track "Crybaby" plays.[36][11]
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