Collaborations that Defined SZA's Career
By Audrey MaloneFeb. 20 2024, Published 1:23 p.m. ET
In music making, collaboration can be the magic ingredient that boosts an artist’s career to a higher height. Solána Imani Rowe, alias SZA, possesses such skills to create amazing effects in combination with other artists who made their names in music. Check out the fruits of SZA’s collaborations on her career journey. Without a single shadow of a doubt, SZA’s power partnerships took her success to higher levels.
Finding Harmony with Kendrick Lamar
One of the biggest collaborations in SZA’s music career was working with Pulitzer Prize winner, Kendrick Lamar. They partnered on the song “All the Stars” for the 2018 Black Panther movie soundtrack. The combination of Lamar’s rhythmic flow and the soulful crooning by SZA resulted in a sonic masterpiece that resonated among fans, and they were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. This propelled SZA into the mainstream limelight, showing her flexibility and increasing her fanbase.
After this musical collab, SZA’s solo efforts got noticed more. The song “Love Galore” with The Weeknd and Travis Scott was an anthem of empowerment on her debut studio album ‘Ctrl’. Working together with Lamar was like a springboard. It showed what happens if two musical heavyweights combine their talents.
The Sonic Alchemy of SZA and Justin Timberlake
Fast-forward to 2020, SZA was involved in another joint project featuring pop star Justin Timberlake. The result? An unexpected combination of SZA's soul sensations and Justin Timberlake's pop style produced “The Otherside” – a track in the animated movie, “Trolls World Tour” (2020) that appealed to children of all ages.
When SZA did work with Timberlake, it made fans feel some type of attachment. It was a new style with a new feeling. Good music knows no bounds, and “The Otherside” became an overwhelming hit. It goes beyond making SZA popular. It painted her as a versatile and lasting artist among a diverse audience.
Unleashing the Power of Female Unity with Cardi B
SZA elevated her collaboration game when she featured Cardi B showing no shyness in “I Do”, a song on Cardi B’s album, “Invasion of Privacy.” The track was not just another badass tune. It was a declaration! The duet between SZA and Cardi B became a clarion call to all the self-reliant and genuine ladies out there.
This partnership would go beyond the charts, creating dialogue among female peers on female bonding in the music business. SZA’s involvement with a powerful and uncompromisingly feministic anthem further solidified her as not only a singer but a voice for change. “I Do” demonstrated that genuine creative alliances can transcend superficiality to impact people in an intimate way.
SZAs collaborations have been more than sharing with other artists. They have facilitated growth, new horizons, and new audiences. SZA’s collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Justin Timberlake, and Cardi B are just three out of many more. She has also worked with other top artists, including Maroon 5, Doja Cat, Post Malone, DJ Khaled, and others. Congrats to SZA! Her collaborations add interesting pages to her musical playbook.