Solána Imani Rowe (born November 8, 1989), known professionally as SZA (/ˈsɪzə/ⓘSIZ-ə), is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her diaristic lyrics and alternative R&B sound incorporating multiple genres, she is a significant figure in influencing contemporary R&B music.
SZA first garnered attention with her self-released extended plays (EPs) See.SZA.Run (2012) and S (2013). The projects led her to sign with Top Dawg Entertainment in 2013, through which she released her third EP, Z (2014). Her rock and jazz-influenced debut studio album, Ctrl (2017), was a critical and commercial success. It earned four Grammy Award nominations in 2018, and became the second longest-charting R&B album by a woman on the US Billboard 200. After Ctrl, she embarked on a series of collaborations. Her 2018 single "All the Stars" with Kendrick Lamar was a top-10 single in the US and UK, and it earned her Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song. SZA's feature on Doja Cat's "Kiss Me More" (2021) set a record as the longest-running all-female collaboration in the US top-ten and won SZA her first Grammy Award.
SZA experimented with several genres like rock, hip-hop, and pop on her second studio album, SOS (2022). It spent twelve weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, broke several chart records, and set an achievement for the largest streaming week for an R&B album in the US. Its six singles consisted of five top-10 songs, including her first global number-one "Kill Bill". SZA achieved two more US number-one singles in 2023 and 2025, with Drake's "Slime You Out" and Lamar's "Luther" respectively. The reissue album of SOS, Lana (2024), comprised outtakes alongside post-SOS music and spawned the top-ten singles "Saturn" and "30 for 30" with Lamar. SZA made her acting debut in the comedy film One of Them Days (2025).
Solána Imani Rowe[1] was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 8, 1989.[2][3] She grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey. Her parents are from the Southern United States; Rowe's mother, Audrey, was an executive at AT&T, while her father, Abdul, was a video producer at CNN.[4] As a child, Rowe was affectionally nicknamed by her mother "Chickabee", derived from the film Nell (1994).[5] Rowe's relatives include a half-sister, Panya, who is eleven years older than her, and a brother, Daniel, who is a rapper known by the stage name Manhattan.[6] She has a niece, Carolyn, who also makes music.[7] Rowe considers her maternal grandmother, Norma, her best friend.[8]
Audrey is Christian, while Abdul is Muslim.[9] Rowe's father would attend her mother's church for special occasions, while her mother would dress up for Jum'ah and accompany her father to the mosque.[6] Rowe attended both Sunday school and Muslim school.[6] In an interview with the blog Muslim Girl, she said that her parents have accepted each other's religions, "their faiths and beliefs [having integrated]".[10]
It's like the belief in one God, all the pillars of Islam et cetera, and I think those are ideas that will never leave me, those make sense in my spirit. It's the way that I connect with God; it has always made sense to me. I think I would love to wear my hijab but I feel like I don't wanna wear my hijab and talk crazy on stage and be in videos with Travis Scott. Like I don't wanna be disrespectful because I have too much love and respect for the religion, for my father, and for myself.[11]
Rowe wore a hijab during elementary and early middle school.[12] Following the September 11 attacks, in her middle school years, she stopped wearing one for fears of Islamophobic bullying.[12][13] She later attended Columbia High School, where she participated in the school's gymnastics and cheerleading teams, as well as its dance team dubbed the Special Dance Company.[14] After graduating in 2008, Rowe enrolled in three different colleges before settling at Delaware State University to study marine biology.[15][9][16] She dropped out in her final semester to focus on her music career and worked various jobs to support herself.[17]
After dropping out, Rowe often drank Malibu, smoked marijuana, and overslept daily.[6] She lied about her age to get a bartending job and occasionally dance at several strip clubs in New Jersey and New York City.[18] When she formed her stage name SZA, Rowe was inspired by Nation of Islam, a black nationalist religious movement.[19] She took cues from the Supreme Alphabet,[20] taking influence from rappers RZA and GZA of Wu-Tang Clan.[21] The last two letters in her name stand for Zig-Zag and Allah, while the first letter S can mean either savior or sovereign.[22][23]
Career
2011–2014: Career beginnings and EPs
SZA performing in 2013
SZA first met members of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) during the CMJ New Music Report in 2011, when her boyfriend's clothing company sponsored a show in which Kendrick Lamar was performing. SZA's early music was shared with TDE president Terrence "Punch" Henderson, who was impressed by the quality of the material.[24] SZA's early music was recorded with friends and neighbors, with many of the beats "stole[n]" from the Internet.[25] SZA self-released her debut extended play (EP) See.SZA.Run on October 29, 2012.[26][27] The extended play was met with positive reviews upon release. The Guardian commended the EP, its lyrical content and production, and compared it to the work of musicians like Drake and the Weeknd.[28]
SZA self-released her second EP, S, on April 10, 2013.[29][30] It was positively received; Consequence of Sound thought that the "dreamy [and] warped [EP] manage[d] to exude confidence and fragility".[31] SZA promoted the extended play with the release of a music video for the EP's lead single, "Ice.Moon".[32] SZA and Punch stayed in contact, and after SZA began garnering attention with the release of her two EPs, TDE stepped in to sign her on July 14, 2013, making her the label's first female artist.[24][33] In October 2013, SZA joined Swedish band Little Dragon for a four-show tour, beginning on October 17 at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles and concluding on October 24 at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn.[34] That December, she released the song "Teen Spirit", which was later remixed with a guest verse from rapper 50 Cent.[23] The remix was accompanied by a music video directed by APlusFilmz.[35]
In 2014, SZA was featured on multiple tracks from her labelmates' projects, including two songs on Isaiah Rashad's debut EP, Cilvia Demo,[36][37] and a collaboration on Schoolboy Q's debut album, Oxymoron.[38] She followed up with the release of her third studio EP, Z, on April 8,[39] led by the single "Babylon" featuring Lamar,[40] which was accompanied by a music video directed by APlusFilmz.[41] To promote the EP, SZA performed at several showcases during the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas.[42][43]Z marked SZA's chart debut in the UK, reaching number 32 on the R&B chart for the week ending April 19.[44] In the US, the EP debuted at number 39 on the US Billboard 200, selling 6,980 copies in its first week, and peaked at number nine on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[45] That November, SZA released "Sobriety" via SoundCloud, which the singer described as "not R&B".[46] In the following month, SZA and the Internet supported Jhené Aiko's "Enter The Void" tour.[47] SZA began recording the first songs for her forthcoming debut album in 2014.[48]
SZA performing in Toronto on the Ctrl The Tour in August 2017
After signing a contract with RCA Records in April 2017,[60][61] SZA released her debut studio album, Ctrl, on June 9.[62][63] Originally slated for release in 2015, the release was marred by several delays rooted in disagreements between SZA and TDE executives.[64][65] Struggling with perfectionism and the selection of tracks, she became frustrated with the process.[66] In 2016, she expressed her frustration on Twitter, stating that she was considering quitting music and allowing TDE president Punch to release Ctrl on her behalf.[67][68] In mid-2017, an unknown person took the hard drive containing the album's music.[64]
In May 2019, SZA was featured on "Just Us", a track from DJ Khaled's eleventh studio album, Father of Asahd.[97][98] In February 2020, she collaborated with Justin Timberlake on "The Other Side", a song from the Trolls World Tour soundtrack.[99][100] The following month, SZA signed with WME for representation across all areas.[101] On April 22, 2020, she participated in a benefit concert alongside artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and Halsey to support New Jersey's COVID-19 pandemic relief efforts. The event featured at-home performances, with proceeds directed to the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund.[102][103] On May 25, 2020, SZA expressed interest on Twitter in releasing a collection of previously unreleased songs, potentially consisting of twenty tracks.[104][105]
In August 2020, SZA sparked speculation about label tensions when she tweeted and deleted, "At this point y'all gotta ask Punch", referring to Terrence "Punch" Henderson, the president of TDE.[106][107] In a follow-up tweet, she mentioned that all he ever told her about releasing new music was "soon".[108] This revealed that her relationship with her label had been hostile since the delays of her second album, which was last announced back in an interview in 2019.[109] SZA made her long-awaited return as a lead artist on September 4, 2020, with "Hit Different", featuring Ty Dolla Sign and produced by the Neptunes.[110][111] On December 25, she officially released "Good Days" after previewing it in the outro of the "Hit Different" music video.[112][113] The song, which featured background vocals from English singer Jacob Collier, peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, making it SZA's first solo top-ten.[114][115] She later revealed that "Good Days" was not initially planned as a single.[116] Both songs were originally expected to be included on her upcoming second studio album, but "Good Days" ultimately made the final tracklist.[117]
In April 2021, SZA was featured on Doja Cat's "Kiss Me More", the lead single from the latter's album Planet Her.[118][119] The song became a global success, reaching number one in New Zealand[120] and landing in the top ten on the charts in the United States,[121] Canada,[122] the United Kingdom,[123] Australia,[124] Ireland,[125] and Lithuania.[126] It became the longest-charting all-female collaboration on the Hot 100, breaking the record set by Brandy and Monica's "The Boy is Mine" from 1998.[127] Later that year, SZA released a cover of "The Anonymous Ones", a song written for the soundtrack of the 2021 film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen.[128][129] A collaboration between SZA and Summer Walker, "No Love", was released on November 5, 2021.[130] Following its success on R&B charts, the song was later re-released as an official single with an extended version in March 2022.[131] In December 2021, SZA officially released the single "I Hate U", after the song went viral on TikTok;[132] it was initially released exclusively on SoundCloud in August.[133][134] Following the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, SZA confirmed that her second studio album was completed and would be released "soon".[135]
On June 9, 2022, SZA released a deluxe edition of Ctrl to celebrate its five-year anniversary.[63][136] This version included seven previously unreleased tracks, such as "TwoAM",[note 2] "Jodie", "Percolator", and an alternate version of "Love Galore" without Travis Scott.[136] On October 28, 2022, SZA released a new single, "Shirt", accompanied by a music video starring actor LaKeith Stanfield.[139] Originally teased in late 2020, the song gained traction on TikTok through a viral challenge.[140] A snippet was later featured as the outro in the official music video for "Good Days".[141] At the end of the "Shirt" music video, SZA previewed another track, which she later confirmed was titled "Blind".[142][143]
On her 33rd birthday, November 8, 2022, SZA released a teaser titled "PSA" on Instagram.[144][145] The video ended with Morse code spelling out "S.O.S.", sparking speculation about a new project.[146] On November 16, 2022, Billboard officially confirmed that her second studio album would be titled SOS and was set for a December release.[147] After performing "Shirt" and "Blind" on Saturday Night Live, SZA announced that the album would be released on December 9, 2022.[148] Wanting to demonstrate her versatility, she incorporated an amalgam of genres on her second album, such as R&B, rap, rock, and pop.[149][150] In addition to "Good Days", "Shirt", and "I Hate U", SOS spawned three extra singles: "Nobody Gets Me", "Kill Bill", and "Snooze".[151] "Kill Bill" was SZA's first number-one on the Billboard Global 200 and Hot 100 charts,[152][153] while "Snooze" was the only song to remain on the Hot 100 for all of 2023.[154]
SOS spent its first seven weeks at number one on the Billboard 200—the longest run for a female album in the decade and the first R&B album to achieve this since Whitney Houston's Whitney (1987).[5] To promote the album, SZA embarked on the SOS Tour from 2023 to 2024, performing 63 shows across North America, Europe, and Oceania.[49][155]Omar Apollo, d4vd, Raye, and Sir served as opening acts for different legs of the tour.[156][157] In January 2023, SZA featured on the remix of Lizzo's single "Special" from her eponymous 2022 album.[158] In March 2023, SZA modeled for Kim Kardashian's fashion brand, Skims, representing the "Fits Everybody" collection, which includes size-inclusive T-shirts, bodysuits, and intimate apparel.[159][160] In September 2023, SZA collaborated with Drake on the single "Slime You Out" for the latter's eighth album, For All the Dogs.[161] "Slime You Out" was SZA's second song to top the Hot 100 chart, following "Kill Bill".[162]
The same month, SZA performed at an invite-only show in Brooklyn Navy Yard to celebrate the success of SOS. Included in the set were four unreleased songs: "Saturn", "PSA", "Diamond Boy (DTM)", and "BMF" (then "Boy from South Detroit").[163] SZA told the crowd that the deluxe edition of SOS, titled Lana, would be "coming soon".[164] In November, she stated to Variety that Lana was not a conventional deluxe edition, but a virtually new album with a tracklist that was continuously expanding.[165] Many of the songs were newly recorded pieces of music; others were outtakes from SOS.[166] The scheduled release date for Lana was suggested by SZA to be around December 2023. That month on social media, she posted a series of images that contained a parental advisory sticker, hinting at potential cover artworks.[164] The year ended without any releases.[167]
Variety and Time magazines listed Lana as one of the most anticipated albums of 2024.[168][169] On February 22, SZA released "Saturn" as the album's lead single.[170] It became a major success, reaching top ten on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Global 200.[171][172] It later won Best R&B Song at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in 2025 and was nominated for Best R&B Performance.[173][174] On November 22, 2024, former labelmate Kendrick Lamar released his sixth studio album, GNX.[175][176] SZA was prominently featured on the third track, "Luther", contributing vocals on two verses as well as the chorus. She also appeared on the album's closing track, "Gloria", performing the chorus and outro.[177] On November 25, 2024, SZA announced that she would release a new album before the end of the year on Kai Cenat's Mafiathon 2Twitch stream that also featured Lizzo. She also did an interview with British Vogue where she said that she had "projects in development".[178]Lana, the deluxe reissue for SOS, was released on December 20, 2024,[179] which, in addition to "Saturn", included the singles "BMF" and "30 for 30" with Kendrick Lamar, as well as the promotional single "Drive".[180][181][182]
SZA made her acting debut in the Issa Rae-produced film One of Them Days (2025), alongside Keke Palmer. SZA plays Alyssa while Palmer plays Dreux, who must urgently find rent money after one of their boyfriends recklessly spends it all.[183][184] Several critics praised SZA and Palmer's on-screen chemistry,[185][186][187] and 93% of the 106 reviews from critics from Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a positive review.[188]Elmo declared SZA an "honorary muppet" during an episode filmed for the 55th season of Sesame Street, released in 2025.[189][190] On February 9, 2025, Lana was rereleased with four additional tracks, including the unreleased song "PSA" and "Open Arms" without Travis Scott.[191][192] That same day, SZA was a featured performer in the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, with the main performer being Kendrick Lamar.[193] Following their joint performance, "30 for 30" reached a new peak of number 10 on the Hot 100 (despite not being part of the set list), and Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us" broke the record set by "Kill Bill" for the longest number-one on US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[194] The week after, "Luther" topped the Hot 100, SZA's third song to do so.[195] In support of GNX, she and Lamar are set to embark on the Grand National Tour from April to August in Europe and North America.[196][197]
In March 2025, SZA announced on The Jennifer Hudson Show that she was launching a fashion brand called Not Beauty, which would be available exclusively for purchase on the Grand National Tour. The line will feature beauty products such as lip glosses, creams, liners, and stains.[198]
Growing up, SZA was exposed by her family to artists from different genres, which were formative influences for her music.[199] Her mother enjoyed R&B and church music,[200] her father was a fan of jazz and funk musicians like Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, and John Coltrane,[201][202] and her sister listened to melodic rap and hip-hop artists like Tupac Shakur.[5][199] SZA listens to Ella Fitzgerald for vocal influence[203] and has said that Lauryn Hill is one of her personal influences.[204] SZA has expressed admiration for singer Ashanti, citing her as a major inspiration and someone she has loved since childhood.[205]
SZA also cites Meelah, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, LFO, Macy Gray, Common, Björk, Jamiroquai, and "a lot of Wu, Nas, Mos Def, Hov" as inspirations.[16] Speaking on her influences, SZA said: "[My] personal influences came from dancing with American Ballet Theatre and doing pieces to Björk [music]. That's the only time I had really any outside influence to music. So, the people that I fell in love with on a musical level were always much older. Jamiroquai is just, like, the shit for me."[206] In an interview for Live Nation Entertainment, SZA described the meeting she had with Beyoncé for the writing of the song "Feeling Myself", affirming "Beyoncé might be the most perfect, beautiful being I've ever met in my whole life. She's the most inspirational woman on earth, next to my mother". SZA also expressed admiration for Rihanna, praising her strong and confident attitude and her commitment to creating only the music she truly wants to make.[207]
SZA self-identifies with the label "alternative", and she has resisted being categorized solely as R&B throughout her career. One song that demonstrates her style of alternative music is her 2017 single "Drew Barrymore".[70][216]
Throughout her career, SZA has experimented with various genres, like hip-hop, in tandem with R&B.[216][217] In the single "30 for 30", SZA combines her usual R&B singing style with a rap flow.[218][219]
Critics have frequently described SZA as an R&B singer-songwriter,[220] a narrative for which she has expressed disdain since the beginning of her career. In 2014, when she uploaded the single "Teen Spirit" on SoundCloud, she tagged the song with the categories "Glitter Trap" and "Not R&B".[46] SZA's earliest songs are built around dreamlike, psychedelic, and lo-fi instrumentals; she describes them as "'hood, with feminine inflections."[5]
SZA identifies with the label "alternative", a subgenre of R&B that borrows from other genres like rock music. Many of her songs from Ctrl have influences of alternative rock, whereas one track from SOS, "F2F", is explicitly pop rock.[70][216] In her view, her being described as a contemporary R&B artist in the media is restrictive and racially prejudiced.[221] She considers it a byproduct of the racist segregation of Black artists from White artists during the 20th century, which industry professionals did by relegating Black people to R&B categories.[5][222] Saying that Black music has never been limited to the genre, SZA told Consequence: "We started rock 'n' roll. Why can't we just be expansive and not reductive?"[222]
Outside of R&B, critics have also written that several of her works combine the genre with hip-hop[223][224] or pop music.[25] Regardless, SZA has expressed confusion about the media's attempts to categorize her. She prefers to be seen as simply someone who makes music and nothing more, saying, "when you try to label it, you remove the option for it to be limitless. It diminishes the music."[225] "Genre agnosticism" was how Michael Madden of Consequence described SZA's musical style.[226]
Voice
According to Rolling Stone's Marissa G. Muller, SZA's voice alternates between a "vapory husk and a sky-high falsetto".[227] Jordan Sargent, in a Pitchfork review of Z, describes her vocals as "chillwave" and "ethereal".[228] Her vocal style has been described as taking on the "lilt" of a jazz singer.[229]
SZA has a slight speech impediment, which influences her delivery.[230] Her fans treat it as a running joke, saying that she sings in "cursive and italics".[230][231] However, journalist Mankaprr Conteh argues that SZA's enunciation began to be clearer with SOS. Conteh adds that nevertheless, "her words retain the swirls and curves that can make them run together and occasionally become alluringly hard to decipher."[232]
Songwriting
When I'm in the studio, it hurts too much sometimes [...] It's easier to be me through [other artists'] eyes than it is to sit with some of the really harsh things that I say about myself to myself.
SZA while interviewing Kendrick Lamar for Harper's Bazaar, 2024
SZA sees songwriting as a way of proving her self-worth.[233] She personally considers her songwriting awards as her most important achievements, having started her career without anyone to write for her.[234] An enjoyer of poetry, SZA began writing songs due to her passion about the hobby.[235]
SZA also thinks of songwriting as a form of self-therapy, using it to record and resolve her struggles.[236] However, when she tries to draw from her experiences and emotions, the weight of the pain can be too much to bear. Therefore, she sometimes writes from the perspective of other people. With a tendency to self-deprecate, SZA sees the writing technique as a way to "say nicer things about [herself]".[237] For example, "Joni" (2025)—a song about being resilient and achieving perfection amid the difficulties of life—was written from the perspective of Canadian musician Joni Mitchell.[238][239] SZA's other muses include singer-songwriter Frank Ocean and rapper Future.[237]
SZA's writing style, as noted by Mesfin Fekadu in a review for The Hollywood Reporter, often takes a vulnerable, confessional, and reflective tone.[240] Thematically, her works often explore themes of heartbreak, nostalgia, abandonment,[241][242][243] as well as issues related to body image, self-worth, and insecurity.[244][245][246] Sydney Gore of Alternative Press writes that "whereas hypersexuality gives some people the ick, SZA's unfiltered canon of raw feelings seemingly makes others squirm because the level of vulnerability she exudes is too painfully real."[216] As her career evolved past Ctrl, SZA's writing has become more aggressive, unafraid to show her competitiveness and "not a nice girl" attitude.[247]
Many critics have also spoken about her songwriting's relatability—mainly due to its exploration of insecurity—to other Black women. Billboard's Kyle Denis writes that her "brand of self-deprecation" reflects many Black women's constantly experiencing shame from facing misogynoir in their pursuits of romance.[248]Elle journalist DeAsia Paige argues that SZA encourages other anxious Black women to embrace their insecurities—and defy expectations of being independent women—"in a world that relentlessly picks them apart" as a result of their race.[249] When SZA spoke about how Drew Barrymore inspired her eponymous song, she said that she grew up not seeing herself represented enough in media like television series.[230]
Several of SZA's works are the result of improvisation. Because she writes to express whatever comes to her mind, she tends to freestyle and produce stream-of-consciousness songs.[235] In an interview for Variety, she recounts that she "never [has] topics" before starting a track.[200] Her freestyles are part of what SZA calls "palate cleanser" moments during recording. In them, she would quickly write songs in between her more serious projects, as a way to refresh her mind.[250] Some of her biggest songs, like "Kill Bill", were improvised. For this reason, she hates the majority of her commercially successful tracks: "I knew it would be something that pissed me off. It's always a song that I don't give a f–k about that's just super easy, not the sh-t that I put so much heart and energy into."[251]
Collaborations and features
SZA has worked with Kendrick Lamar, her most well-known collaborator, on several songs since 2014.
SZA is known for her work relationship with former TDE labelmate Kendrick Lamar.[252][253][254] Heran Mamo of Billboard writes that they are the "ultimate rapper-singer duo",[255] and HipHopDX's Andy Bustard comments that they are the best such duo of their time.[256] Dubbed by SZA as her "sensei",[237][252] Lamar has inspired her to take risks and experiment when making music. In a talk show interview, she commented: "He's a huge part of my fumbling and finding era because I'm trusting his expertise ... So I'm just like, 'Teach me, sensei, what you know.'"[252] The two released their first song together in 2014, which was "Babylon" from SZA's third EP Z.[257] He and SZA have three top-ten singles: "All the Stars" in 2018,[258] the US number-one "Luther" in 2024,[195] and "30 for 30" in 2025.[259]
Many other artists have worked with SZA multiple times. One of her earliest collaborators was rapper Mac Miller, who produced two songs from Z.[260] She first met him when she moved to Los Angeles in 2014.[5][260] SZA and singer and rapper Lizzo, whom she befriended after a 2013 Red Bull tour,[261] once considered starting a rock band.[262] The two co-wrote "F2F" from SOS when the idea first came to them.[263] In 2023, Lizzo released a remix of "Special" featuring SZA,[158] and she was originally going to be a feature on the 2025 single "BMF" from Lana.[note 4] Apart from singers and rappers, there are select producers with whom SZA often works. Two of them, Carter Lang and ThankGod4Cody, have produced several of her songs from Ctrl, SOS, and Lana.[265][266]
Norma Rowe, SZA's deceased maternal grandmother, appears via sampled voice recordings on Ctrl and SOS.[267] Rowe affectionally calls her "Granny",[268] and she is credited as such on both albums.[269][270] Writing for Vulture, journalist Zach Schonfeld ranked Rowe as the fourth-best mother to appear on their child or grandchild's songs. He gave her a "wholesome index" of eight out of ten.[267]
Fashion
During an interview, SZA said she is less inspired by strictly music, and more inspired by creating art in general; she has looked up to people who were not "typical artists" including her "favorite gymnast, ice-skater, saxophonist, painter, or movie director", continuing to say she was particularly inspired by film director Spike Lee.[206] During an interview with W, SZA spoke on her style influences, saying a large amount of her style inspiration comes from movies, including Wes Anderson films, praising his use of "pantone color palette" and that she "would love to dress like a character from Moonrise Kingdom. Or perhaps Bill Murray in The Life Aquatic."[271] Along with her music, SZA's image has been compared to neo-soul artists Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu.[272] SZA's hair became a point of interest during the early stages of her career and she discussed it in interviews with Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.[204] During her performances, SZA tends to wear "free-flowing" clothes that are easy to move around in and wears pajamas or baggy clothing onstage.[273]
Public image and reception
Impact and legacy
Many critics and musicians credit SZA with significantly influencing the sound of contemporary R&B.[232][274][275] Singer Baby Rose described SZA as "a radical light", while NME called her one of the most influential voices in contemporary music, stating that few artists have shaped the sound of modern R&B as much as SZA.[274]Vogue Australia's Liam Freeman concluded that "it's hard to imagine what an R&B playlist would sound like without her now".[276] Reviewing for Variety, Jem Aswad described SZA as "warm, witty and charismatic" and thought that her speaking voice can be as "honeying as the one she pours lavishly into her music".[200] SZA explained that her experience of exclusion in school while growing up motivated her to prioritize creating an inclusive environment for both herself and her fans.[277] Several critics have noted that SZA has cultivated a "girl next door" persona through her music,[278][279] and she has been dubbed the girl next door of R&B by several critics.[147][280]
Billboard recognized SZA as the second-greatest pop star of 2023 and ranked her at the top of the R&B/Hip-Hop Artist chart,[281] while in a 2023 Rolling Stone listicle, she is ranked as the 180th best singer of all time.[232] Her albums, Ctrl (2017) and SOS (2022), were ranked at No. 472 and No. 351, respectively, on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[282][283] Many retrospectives have credited Ctrl with influencing the sound of contemporary R&B.[284] In 2023, Sophie Williams of NME highlighted the album's lasting influence, noting that even six years after its release, Ctrl's impact continues to shape a "new generation of young, bright artists".[274] The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's journalist Al Newstead thought that the album redefined genre boundaries through combining classic R&B and neo soul traditions with modern sounds.[285] Many critics argue that Ctrl propelled SZA to mainstream pop stardom.[286][287][288]
Views and philanthropy
Many of SZA's unreleased songs have been leaked online, which she has openly criticized, stating, "When people leak my songs, they ruin them".[289] She feels that when a song is leaked, it no longer belongs to her but to the public, describing it as "something unfinished that you decided was ready to be shared".[290] In December 2018, SZA faced her first major leak when a nine-track unreleased album titled Comethru was distributed through a label called Scissor. On the album, SZA was credited as "Sister Solana", while Kendrick Lamar made a guest appearance under the name "King Kenny".[291] In January 2024, SZA warned that she may pursue legal action against those who release her music without permission, stating that she promised to hold them accountable as much as the law allows.[292] In March 2024, SZA addressed a fan on Twitter who leaked unreleased images and audio, and later deleted and deactivated her accounts before RCA could take action.[293][294] SZA's manager, Punch, noted that leaks frequently result in project delays or complete cancellations.[295]
SZA is also known for her philanthropic efforts and supports a number of causes, including social and environmental justice as well as Palestinian rights.[277][296] Following Hurricane Harvey in 2017, SZA invited fans to spend time with her after Ctrl the Tour in exchange for donating essential items such as non-perishable food, diapers, gloves, masks, trash bags, and baby food.[297] In 2019, a fan of SZA diagnosed with lupus, sickle cell disease, and Crohn's disease shared on social media that the artist had contributed financially toward her chemotherapy treatments and used her platform to help find a kidney donor.[298] That same year, SZA launched a merchandise line called Ctrl Fishing Company, which included apparel featuring phrases such as "Puck Flastic" and "Sustainability Gang", as well as sea animals like blue whales and seahorses.[299] In 2021, SZA partnered with tea brand Tazo and American Forests to address environmental racism—disproportionate environmental harm affecting Black and brown communities. The corps comprised 25 locally hired fellows trained in climate justice advocacy, tree planting, and maintenance.[277][300] During the SOS Tour concert in Australia on April 16, 2024, she expressed her support for Palestine by holding the country's flag and calling out, "Free Palestine".[296]
SZA has been vocal in her criticism of the 45th and 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump. In 2016, during that year's presidential election, she condemned Trump supporters, stating that they endorse "bigotry, lying, and xenophobia" and that "[people] are dying from the stereotypes he perpetuates." That same year, she also criticized the hypocrisy in public perception, stating that "we have Trump removing Muslims from conferences [and] spewing venomous bigotry[...] yet Beyoncé being positive is scary?"[301]
Personal life
SZA has been candid about her struggles with mental health, describing the music industry as "one of the most stressful, psychosis-inducing industries".[236] She became depressed and developed suicidal thoughts after the sudden deaths of three ex-boyfriends in quick succession. She found solace through prayer and music, which helped her work toward self-acceptance.[9] Her best friend Mac Miller's accidental lethal overdose in 2018 and grandmother's death in 2020 further pushed her into suicidal thoughts and demotivated her from making music.[8][268]
Due to her upbringing, SZA has practiced several religious beliefs throughout her life. She believes in a "higher power or presence [...] that's running and moving the world like a well-oiled machine," regardless of religion. She has practiced and identified with Christianity,[66] and she considers herself Muslim.[10] Apart from Abrahamic faiths, she incorporates Hinduism in her personal belief system. In 2020, she hosted an online meditation session with Lizzo on Instagram Live, where SZA played a Tibetan singing bowl.[302] SZA went to a silent retreat in India in 2025, refraining from social media use for over a week and practicing samyama all the while.[303] To maintain her wellness, SZA also does yoga.[304]
SZA is known for keeping her dating life private.[305] Her known former partners include Canadian rapper and singer Drake, whom she dated in 2009.[306] Another is an unnamed fashion designer, whom she dated for eleven years and was her ex-fiancé for five.[307] She attributes the beginning of her career in part to him, who helped finance her everyday needs; she described her relationship with him as codependent. The two broke off around 2017, sending SZA in a catastrophizing state because he was a "rock in [her] life" and "nobody understood [her] the way he did". Her 2023 single "Nobody Gets Me" was written about him, as were many other songs from SOS.[305]
↑ Cited to multiple sources: "Drew Barrymore",[76] "Love Galore",[76] "The Weekend",[76] "Broken Clocks",[76] and "Garden (Say It Like Dat)".[76]
↑ "TwoAM" was initially released unofficially in 2016 as a standalone single.[137][138]
↑ "Jodie" is a song from Ctrl's deluxe edition, produced by rapper Tyler, the Creator.[210] It leaked sometime around 2021, and SZA referred to it as "Jodie Foster" then.[211]
↑ "BMF" was formerly known as "Boy from South Detroit",[164] and initial reports about Lizzo's appearance used that title.[264]
1 2 Carmichael, Emma (February 26, 2020). "The Rebirth of SZA". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
↑ Madden, Michael (April 8, 2014). "SZA – Z | Album Reviews". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
1 2 Schonfeld, Zach (November 5, 2024). "Moms on Songs, Ranked". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
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