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SZA’s music career has been nothing short of impressive, with her works consistently earning public acclaim and awards in the music world.

The R&B and pop artist made waves in the industry with “Ctrl” in 2017, where she experimented with lo-fi beats and opened up about her heartbreak and insecurities. Now, SZA’s back and stronger than ever before with “SOS Deluxe: LANA,” where she vows to accept herself as she is.

After releasing her second studio album “SOS” in 2022, SZA announced “LANA” at a surprise performance at Brooklyn Navy Yard on Sept. 8, 2023. The work features 15 additional songs, along with the original 23 from “SOS.”

With “LANA,” SZA explores self-love, relationships and growth. We heard some experimentation as she first wrestled with trust and broken relationships on “SOS,” but on “LANA,” she’s blooming and growing from relationship pains, ultimately choosing herself.

The cover art, depicting SZA in insect form standing in a dark field, might be a hint of that. SZA has been known for wearing an insect mask on the show “Hot Ones,” which alludes to her desire to embrace all of her quirks and be at peace with herself.

Cole Ross | Digital Design Director

SZA’s latest album “SOS Deluxe: LANA” stuns fans with 15 additional tracks to the original “SOS” and explores heartbreak in relationships.

SZA surprise-released her lead single “Saturn” last February. When she performed the single at the 2024 Grammys, she was the artist most nominations at the ceremony. “LANA,” which was ranked No.1 on the Billboard 200 this month, has continued her success.

Ahead of the album’s release, SZA dropped the music video for “Drive,” featuring a comical Ben Stiller appearance. In the video, Stiller lip-syncs to the lyrics while driving and ends up busting a move on the road.

SZA teased a clip of the video on Instagram, eliciting many comments from excited fans. The full video appeared just two weeks later. With the only musical feature being Kendrick Lamar on “30 For 30,” SZA proved she can make a successful album almost completely solo by relying on her angelic voice and raw lyrics.

In the opener, “No More Hiding,” SZA literally says she doesn’t want to hide anymore. It highlights her continuous growth as a person and her vulnerability makes her relatable to listeners.

“Gotta break it if you want it to grow / Had to build everything twice over / Don’t tell me ’cause I know,” she sings.

SZA also depicts the difficult reality of life: growth is not linear. She contrasts her progress by also vocalizing her internal struggles in the song.

“No more hiding / I wanna feel sun on my skin / Even if it burns or blinds me,” SZA sings.

The song works well as an opener, foreshadowing future tracks that go on to highlight both her strengths and imperfections.

The following song, “What Do I Do,” explores SZA’s experience with broken relationships and trust. In the aftermath of catching her partner cheating, SZA is caught between wishing her partner the best and holding resentment. Despite the love she has for her ex, she realizes things won’t be the same anymore.

Similarly, in “Another Life,” SZA tosses and turns in a relationship that isn’t working out, saying she doesn’t want to just be an object for her partner to show off. Still, she acknowledges that “maybe in another life” things could work out for them.

SZA’s lyrics are often cautious when they’re about her relationships. In “LANA,” we can see that she’s learned to abandon the things that no longer serve her. Songs like “My Turn” exemplify her journey in prioritizing herself.

In “Love Me 4 Me,” SZA further expands on a tug of war with complex emotions. She addresses her shortcomings and faults, but finally takes note of her worth and states that she wants to be loved for herself.

Thus, we continue to ride the wave of SZA’s journey to find peace with herself. While she knows she isn’t perfect, she accepts that she can still try to be her best self moving forward.

Amid complicated, soulful sounds, we also get a taste of sweet, tender pieces like “BMF,” which interpolates the melody from the classic song “The Girl From Ipanema” by Stan Getz and João Gilberto. SZA swoons over a man she’s been seeing in this track, one of the album’s catchiest. She pitches herself to this love interest by saying that she’s different from the other girls and will make things last.

“Tell me anything / Compliment my energy, it’s different laying next to me,” SZA sings.

With “LANA,” SZA reminds us she’s talented at translating her feelings – no matter how thorny they are – into words that make people feel seen and comforted. This is probably the best deluxe version of “SOS” that we could’ve ever hoped for.

I can only imagine that this year’s music awards season will rack up more trophies for SZA to keep under her belt. The superstar continues to make strides and solidify her spot as a top-performing R&B and pop artist.

Published on January 19, 2025 at 10:09 pm