The Power of Vulnerability: SZA's “Kill Bill” Story

The best artists are coincidentally the best storytellers. SZA prides herself in implanting emotions in all her songs. She strives to drive quality, never quantity. The artist finally dropped her long-awaited second album, “SOS”. But there’s a single song that her fans have been buzzing about: “Kill Bill.”

Sound familiar? Throwback to 2003 when the legendary Quentin Tarantino released Kill Bill: Volume 1 and 2. The film narrates the story of a female assassin embarking on a long revenge mission. Does SZA’s “Kill Bill” have a similar premise?

“Kill Bill” resonated with many listeners since its release. The lyrics are quite thought-provoking, and the melody is contagious. Like the film, SZA talks about love, betrayal, and finding power.

In the song, SZA aligns herself with Uma Thurman’s character in the film. She speaks of a heartbreak that she’s worn for ages. The artist has a hit list, and in it is her ex and his new girlfriend. Although she’s certain taking revenge is the wrong cause, she’s determined to cross them both. SZA mentions she’d rather be in hell and jail than alone, clearly expressing the lengths she will go to exert revenge.

It takes a therapist’s intervention to slightly divert the musician from pursuing her revenge mission. Her therapist reminds her that there are other men and she should abort her mission. But her anger and quest for revenge are too much to distract her. Eventually, SZA loses her rational perspective and commits a double homicide. She would rather be in hell than alone.

While speaking to MTV News, the “Snooze” artist revealed that she had been in a toxic relationship. She spoke bits of the experience in her song “Supermodel.” The boy SZA wrote about in the song often compared her to other women and hardly acknowledged her. She later came to realize this trait was toxic and damaging to her self-esteem.

Could Kill Bill be a culmination of emotions over the years after experiencing toxic relationships? On another occasion, SZA mentioned to her audience in London at the O2 Arena that her boyfriend had cheated on her in the city. She disclosed that London reminds her so much of the betrayal.

It’s evident SZA was inspired to create “Kill Bill” based on her previous experience in toxic relationships. The story tells tales of how difficult it is to move on from such situations and one may lose themselves in dangerous pursuits.

“Kill Bill” can be interpreted as violent by other fans. However, SZA’s angelic voice tones it down to a pure fantasy. According to Variety, the “I Hate U” artist was uncertain of the song’s reception, especially when fitting the words, “I might kill my ex” and “I just killed my ex” into the lyrics. She thought the lyrics would be a little crazy but eventually got her affirmation to push the song.

Despite the uncertainty, the song became a commercial success. It’s SZA’s biggest hit so far, garnering millions of streams and topping charts for weeks. Only SZA can pen down emotional and personal stories and deliver them in a way that resonates with numerous fans. Undoubtedly, “Kill Bill” has cemented the “Supermodel” artist among the greatest.