SZA: Unpacking 'SOS' and Her Journey to Hitmaker of the Year

Five years after SZA’s debut album “Ctrl,” the artist finally decided it was time for her second album, “SOS.” The album was jam-packed with 23 songs, making it her biggest project so far.

“Ctrl” had instant hits such as “Supermodel” and “Go Gina” that impacted a generation and became a favorite soundtrack among young women. Its success made the second album widely anticipated. How was SZA going to top up the debut masterpiece?

“SOS” became 2023’s most successful album, topping the charts. Here’s SZA’s journey to making another musical masterpiece.

“SOS” beat the sophomore curse by breaking records, earning prestigious awards, and paving the way for SZA’s first arena tour. The “Doves In The Wind” artist spent five years working on the album and wanted nothing but perfection. She stepped out of her R&B boundaries, dipping her feet into melodic rap, folk, soul, grunge, surf rock, gospel, and jazz. Similarly, the artist took her writing a notch higher and incorporated great storytelling that touched on betrayal, anger, and self-forgiveness.

The album’s commercial success has already made history by beating some of the biggest hits ever made. “SOS” remained at the top of the chart for ten weeks since its debut on Billboard 200. Only Adele and Taylor Swift have come close to setting such a record in the women’s category.

The hype around “SOS” was so surreal that it broke the record for the biggest streaming week for an R&B album. This record would earn “SOS” the certified triple platinum label.

“Show me what you listen to, and I’ll tell you who you are.” SZA speaks to a lot of young Black women through her songs. Her stories resonate with most of her listeners. Like her songs, she’s raw and unfiltered. With 23 songs packed into the album, fans couldn’t have enough taste of each of them.

Perhaps the most talked about song of the album is “Kill Bill.” The song describes the premises of the entire album. The “Supermodel” artist revealed that “SOS” basically means “Saving Our Souls.”

SZA insists that one cannot be saved by anyone else but themselves.

Since the release of “SOS,” the artist has had a series of good news coming her way. Variety named SZA hitmaker of the year 2023 alongside Olivia Rodrigo and Metro Boomin. She was credited for her sophomore album and tour, which have been huge commercial and creative successes.

Besides being named Hitmaker of the Year, the album has garnered nine staggering nominations for the 2024 Grammy Awards. After five years of working on the project, SZA can finally reap some good fruits.

While speaking to Rolling Stone, 4the “I Hate U” hitmaker never thought her second album would get so much hype. She opened up and said she was anxious and doubtful about its release but was ready to get over. Had the album bombed, SZA vowed she’d call it quits and disappear to India. But that was wishful thinking, and it never came to pass. Nonetheless, she was glad her fans loved the album because she put everything from her creative box to make it a masterpiece.

Many music enthusiasts and casual listeners agree that SZA is a generational talent. The release of “SOS” confirms it. Only a musical genius can deliver such great storytelling, diverse genres, emotion, and character building: simply a masterpiece.

Five years after SZA’s debut album “Ctrl,” the artist finally decided it was time for her second album, “SOS.” The album was jam-packed with 23 songs, making it her biggest project so far. “Ctrl” had instant hits such as “Supermodel” and “Go Gina” that impacted a generation and became a favorite soundtrack among young women. Its success made the second album widely anticipated. How was SZA going to top up the debut masterpiece?

“SOS” became 2023’s most successful album, topping the charts. Here’s SZA’s journey to making another musical masterpiece.

“SOS” beat the sophomore curse by breaking records, earning prestigious awards, and paving the way for SZA’s first arena tour. The “Doves In The Wind” artist spent five years working on the album and wanted nothing but perfection. She stepped out of her R&B boundaries, dipping her feet into melodic rap, folk, soul, grunge, surf rock, gospel, and jazz. Similarly, the artist took her writing a notch higher and incorporated great storytelling that touched on betrayal, anger, and self-forgiveness.

The album’s commercial success has already made history by beating some of the biggest hits ever made. “SOS” remained at the top of the chart for ten weeks since its debut on Billboard 200. Only Adele and Taylor Swift have come close to setting such a record in the women’s category. The hype around “SOS” was so surreal that it broke the record for the biggest streaming week for an R&B album. This record would earn “SOS” the certified triple platinum label.

“Show me what you listen to, and I’ll tell you who you are.” SZA speaks to a lot of young Black women through her songs. Her stories resonate with most of her listeners. Like her songs, she’s raw and unfiltered. With 23 songs packed into the album, fans couldn’t have enough taste of each of them. Perhaps the most talked about song of the album is “Kill Bill.” The song describes the premises of the entire album. The “Supermodel” artist revealed that “SOS” basically means “Saving Our Souls.”

SZA insists that one cannot be saved by anyone else but themselves.

Since the release of “SOS,” the artist has had a series of good news coming her way. Variety named SZA hitmaker of the year 2023 alongside Olivia Rodrigo and Metro Boomin. She was credited for her sophomore album and tour, which have been huge commercial and creative successes. Besides being named Hitmaker of the Year, the album has garnered nine staggering nominations for the 2024 Grammy Awards. After five years of working on the project, SZA can finally reap some good fruits.

While speaking to Rolling Stone, the “I Hate U” hitmaker never thought her second album would get so much hype. She opened up and said she was anxious and doubtful about its release but was ready to get over. Had the album bombed, SZA vowed she’d call it quits and disappear to India. But that was wishful thinking, and it never came to pass. Nonetheless, she was glad her fans loved the album because she put everything from her creative box to make it a masterpiece.

Many music enthusiasts and casual listeners agree that SZA is a generational talent. The release of “SOS” confirms it. Only a musical genius can deliver such great storytelling, diverse genres, emotion, and character building: simply a masterpiece. CLASSIFIED CONTENT [META-TITLE]SZA's 'SOS' Album Triumph: From Anticipation to Chart-Topping Success

[TITLE]SZA: Unpacking 'SOS' and Her Journey to Hitmaker of the Year

Five years after SZA’s debut album “Ctrl,” the artist finally decided it was time for her second album, “SOS.” The album was jam-packed with 23 songs, making it her biggest project so far. “Ctrl” had instant hits such as “Supermodel” and “Go Gina” that impacted a generation and became a favorite soundtrack among young women. Its success made the second album widely anticipated. How was SZA going to top up the debut masterpiece?

“SOS” became 2023’s most successful album, topping the charts. Here’s SZA’s journey to making another musical masterpiece.

“SOS” beat the sophomore curse by breaking records, earning prestigious awards, and paving the way for SZA’s first arena tour. The “Doves In The Wind” artist spent five years working on the album and wanted nothing but perfection. She stepped out of her R&B boundaries, dipping her feet into melodic rap, folk, soul, grunge, surf rock, gospel, and jazz. Similarly, the artist took her writing a notch higher and incorporated great storytelling that touched on betrayal, anger, and self-forgiveness.

The album’s commercial success has already made history by beating some of the biggest hits ever made. “SOS” remained at the top of the chart for ten weeks since its debut on Billboard 200. Only Adele and Taylor Swift have come close to setting such a record in the women’s category. The hype around “SOS” was so surreal that it broke the record for the biggest streaming week for an R&B album. This record would earn “SOS” the certified triple platinum label.

“Show me what you listen to, and I’ll tell you who you are.” SZA speaks to a lot of young Black women through her songs. Her stories resonate with most of her listeners. Like her songs, she’s raw and unfiltered. With 23 songs packed into the album, fans couldn’t have enough taste of each of them. Perhaps the most talked about song of the album is “Kill Bill.” The song describes the premises of the entire album. The “Supermodel” artist revealed that “SOS” basically means “Saving Our Souls.”

SZA insists that one cannot be saved by anyone else but themselves.

Since the release of “SOS,” the artist has had a series of good news coming her way. Variety named SZA hitmaker of the year 2023 alongside Olivia Rodrigo and Metro Boomin. She was credited for her sophomore album and tour, which have been huge commercial and creative successes. Besides being named Hitmaker of the Year, the album has garnered nine staggering nominations for the 2024 Grammy Awards. After five years of working on the project, SZA can finally reap some good fruits.

While speaking to Rolling Stone, the “I Hate U” hitmaker never thought her second album would get so much hype. She opened up and said she was anxious and doubtful about its release but was ready to get over. Had the album bombed, SZA vowed she’d call it quits and disappear to India. But that was wishful thinking, and it never came to pass. Nonetheless, she was glad her fans loved the album because she put everything from her creative box to make it a masterpiece.

Many music enthusiasts and casual listeners agree that SZA is a generational talent. The release of “SOS” confirms it. Only a musical genius can deliver such great storytelling, diverse genres, emotion, and character building: simply a masterpiece.