Solána Imani Rowe (born November 8, 1989), known professionally asSZA (/ˈsɪzə/ⓘSIZ-ə), is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her diaristic lyrics andalternative R&B sound incorporating multiple genres, she is a significant figure in influencingcontemporary R&B music.
SZA first garnered attention with her self-releasedextended plays (EPs)See.SZA.Run (2012) andS (2013). The projects led her to sign withTop Dawg Entertainment in 2013, through which she released her third EP,Z (2014). Herrock andjazz-influenced debut studio album,Ctrl (2017), was a critical and commercial success. It earned fourGrammy Award nominations in 2018, and became the second longest-charting R&B album by a woman on the USBillboard 200. AfterCtrl, she embarked on a series of collaborations. Her 2018 single "All the Stars" withKendrick Lamar was a top-10 single in the US and UK, and it earned herGolden Globe andAcademy Award nominations for Best Original Song. SZA's feature onDoja 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 firstGrammy Award.
SZA experimented with several genres like rock,hip-hop, andpop on her second studio album,SOS (2022). It spent twelve weeks at number one on theBillboard 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, withDrake's "Slime You Out" and Lamar's "Luther" respectively. In 2024, SZA released the reissue album ofSOS,Lana, which consisted of outtakes alongside post-SOS music. The reissue spawned two top-ten singles, "Saturn" and "30 for 30" with Lamar. SZA made her acting debut in the comedy filmOne of Them Days (2025).
Solána Imani Rowe[1] was born inSt. Louis, Missouri, on November 8, 1989.[2][3] She grew up inMaplewood, New Jersey. Her parents are from theSouthern United States; Rowe's mother, Audrey, was an executive atAT&T, while her father, Abdul, was an editor atCNN.[4] As a child, Rowe was affectionally nicknamed by her mother "Chickabee", derived from the filmNell (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 thestage name Manhattan.[6] She has a niece, Carolyn, who also makes music.[7] Rowe considers her maternal grandmother, Norma, her best friend.[8]
Audrey isChristian, while Abdul isMuslim.[9] Rowe's father would attend her mother'schurch for special occasions, while her mother would dress up forJum'ah and accompany her father to themosque.[6] Rowe attended bothSunday school andMuslim school.[6] In an interview with the blogMuslim 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 myhijab but I feel like I don't wanna wear my hijab and talk crazy on stage and be in videos withTravis 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 ahijab during elementary and early middle school.[12] Following theSeptember 11 attacks in her middle school years, she stopped wearing one for fears ofIslamophobic bullying.[12][13] She later attendedColumbia 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 atDelaware State University to studymarine 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 drankMalibu,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 byNation of Islam, ablack nationalist religious movement.[19] She took cues from theSupreme Alphabet,[20] taking influence from rappersRZA andGZA ofWu-Tang Clan.[21] The last two letters in her name stand for Zig-Zag andAllah, while the first letter S can mean either savior or sovereign.[22][23]
SZA first met members ofTop Dawg Entertainment (TDE) during theCMJ New Music Report in 2011, when her boyfriend's clothing company sponsored a show in whichKendrick Lamar was performing. SZA's early music was shared with TDE presidentTerrence "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 debutextended 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 likeDrake andthe 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 bandLittle Dragon for a four-show tour, beginning on October 17 at theEl Rey Theater in Los Angeles and concluding on October 24 at theMusic Hall of Williamsburg inBrooklyn.[34] That December, she released the song "Teen Spirit", which was later remixed with a guest verse from rapper50 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 onIsaiah Rashad's debut EP,Cilvia Demo,[36][37] and a collaboration onSchoolboy 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 theSXSW Music Festival inAustin, 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 USBillboard 200, selling 6,980 copies in its first week, and peaked at number nine on theBillboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[45] That November, SZA released "Sobriety" viaSoundCloud, which the singer described as "not R&B".[46] In the following month, SZA andthe Internet supportedJhené 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 theCtrl The Tour in August 2017
After signing a contract withRCA 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 onTwitter, stating that she was considering quitting music and allowing TDE president Punch to releaseCtrl 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 fromDJ 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 theTrolls World Tour soundtrack.[99][100] The following month, SZA signed withWME for representation across all areas.[101] On April 22, 2020, she participated in a benefit concert alongside artists such asBruce Springsteen,Bon Jovi, andHalsey to support New Jersey'sCOVID-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 shetweeted and deleted, "At this point y'all gotta ask Punch", referring toTerrence "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", featuringTy Dolla Sign and produced bythe 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 singerJacob Collier, peaked at number nine on theBillboard 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 onDoja Cat's "Kiss Me More", the lead single from her albumPlanet 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 byBrandy andMonica'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 the2021 film adaptation ofDear Evan Hansen.[128][129] A collaboration between SZA andSummer 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 onTikTok;[132] it was initially released exclusively on SoundCloud in August.[133][134] Following the64th 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 ofCtrl 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 actorLaKeith 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" onInstagram.[144][145] The video ended withMorse 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 titledSOS and was set for a December release.[147] After performing "Shirt" and "Blind" onSaturday 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, andpop.[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 theBillboard 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 theBillboard 200—the longest run for a female album in the decade and the first R&B album to achieve this sinceWhitney Houston'sWhitney (1987).[5] To promote the album, SZA embarked on theSOS Tour from 2023 to 2024, performing 63 shows across North America, Europe, and Oceania.[49][155]Omar Apollo,d4vd,Raye, andSir served as opening acts for different legs of the tour.[156][157] In January 2023, SZA featured on the remix ofLizzo's single "Special" from hereponymous 2022 album.[158] In March 2023, SZA modeled forKim 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 withDrake 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 inBrooklyn Navy Yard to celebrate the success ofSOS. 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 ofSOS, titledLana, would be "coming soon".[164] In November, SZA toldVariety thatLana was not a conventional deluxe edition. She described it as virtually a new album, with a track list that was continuously expanding.[165] Many of the songs were newly recorded pieces of music; others were outtakes fromSOS.[166] The scheduled release date forLana 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 andTime magazines listedLana 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 theBillboard Hot 100 and Global 200.[171][172] It later wonBest R&B Song at the67th Annual Grammy Awards in 2025 and was nominated forBest R&B Performance.[173][174] On November 22, 2024, former labelmateKendrick 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 onKai Cenat'sMafiathon 2Twitch stream that also featuredLizzo. She also did an interview withBritishVogue where she said that she had "projects in development".[178]Lana, the deluxe reissue forSOS, 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 thepromotional single "Drive".[180][181][182]
SZA made her acting debut in theIssa Rae-produced filmOne of Them Days (2025), alongsideKeke 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 94% of the 88 reviews from critics fromRotten Tomatoes gave the film a positive review.[188]Elmo declared SZA an "honorary muppet" during an episode filmed for the 55th season ofSesame 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" withoutTravis Scott.[191][192] That same day, SZA was a featured performer in theSuper Bowl LIX halftime show, with the main performer being 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 ofGNX, she and Lamar are set to embark on theGrand National Tour from April to August in Europe and North America.[196][197]
Growing up, SZA was exposed by her family to artists from different genres, which were formative influences for her music.[198] Her mother enjoyed R&B andchurch music,[199] her father was a fan ofjazz andfunk musicians likeMiles Davis,Billie Holiday, andJohn Coltrane,[200][201] and her sister listened to melodic rap and hip-hop artists likeTupac Shakur.[5][198] SZA listens toElla Fitzgerald for vocal influence[202] and has said thatLauryn Hill is one of her personal influences.[203] SZA has expressed admiration for singerAshanti, citing her as a major inspiration and someone she has loved since childhood.[204]
SZA also citesMeelah, theRed Hot Chili Peppers,LFO,Macy Gray,Common,Björk,Jamiroquai, and "a lot ofWu,Nas,Mos Def,Hov" as inspirations.[16] Speaking on her influences, SZA said: "[My] personal influences came from dancing withAmerican 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."[205] In an interview forLive Nation Entertainment, SZA described the meeting she had withBeyoncé 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 forRihanna, praising her strong and confident attitude and her commitment to creating only the music she truly wants to make.[206]
Critics have frequently described SZA as an R&B singer-songwriter,[219] a narrative for which she has expressed disdain since the beginning of her career. In 2014, when she uploaded the single "Teen Spirit" onSoundCloud, she tagged the song with the categories "Glitter Trap" and "Not R&B".[46] SZA's earliest songs are built around dreamlike,psychedelic, andlo-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 likerock music. Many of her songs fromCtrl have influences ofalternative rock, whereas one track fromSOS, "F2F", is explicitlypop rock.[70][215] In her view, her being described as a contemporary R&B artist in the media is restrictive and racially prejudiced.[220] 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][221] Saying that Black music has never been limited to the genre, SZA toldConsequence: "We startedrock 'n' roll. Why can't we just be expansive and not reductive?"[221]
Outside of R&B, critics have also written that several of her works combine the genre withhip-hop[222][223] orpop 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."[224] "Genreagnosticism" was how Michael Madden ofConsequence described SZA's musical style.[225]
Voice
According toRolling Stone's Marissa G. Muller, SZA's voice alternates between a "vapory husk and a sky-high falsetto".[226] Jordan Sargent, in aPitchfork review ofZ, describes her vocals as "chillwave" and "ethereal".[227] Her vocal style has been described as taking on the "lilt" of ajazz singer.[228]
SZA has a slight speech impediment, which influences her delivery.[229] Her fans treat it as a running joke, saying that she sings in "cursive anditalics".[229][230] However, journalist Mankaprr Conteh argues that SZA's enunciation began to be clearer withSOS. Conteh adds that nevertheless, "her words retain the swirls and curves that can make them run together and occasionally become alluringly hard to decipher."[231]
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 forHarper's Bazaar, 2024
SZA sees songwriting as a way of proving her self-worth.[232] She personally considers her songwriting awards as her most important achievements, having started her career without anyone to write for her.[233] An enjoyer of poetry, SZA began writing songs due to her passion about the hobby.[234]
SZA also thinks of songwriting as a form of self-therapy, using it to record and resolve her struggles.[235] 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]".[236] For example, "Joni" (2025)—a song about being resilient and achieving perfection amid the difficulties of life—was written from the perspective of Canadian musicianJoni Mitchell.[237][238] SZA's other muses include singer-songwriterFrank Ocean and rapperFuture.[236]
SZA's writing style, as noted by Mesfin Fekadu in a review forThe Hollywood Reporter, often takes a vulnerable, confessional, and reflective tone.[239] Thematically, her works often explore themes ofheartbreak,nostalgia,abandonment,[240][241][242] as well as issues related tobody image,self-worth, andinsecurity.[243][244][245] Sydney Gore ofAlternative Press writes that "whereashypersexuality gives some peoplethe ick, SZA's unfiltered canon of raw feelings seemingly makes others squirm because the level of vulnerability she exudes is too painfully real."[215] As her career evolved pastCtrl, SZA's writing has become more aggressive, unafraid to show her competitiveness and "not a nice girl" attitude.[246]
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 facingmisogynoir in their pursuits of romance.[247]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.[248] When SZA spoke about how Drew Barrymore inspiredher eponymous song, she said that she grew up not seeing herself represented enough in media like television series.[229]
Several of SZA's works are the result of improvisation. Because she writes to express whatever comes to her mind, she tends tofreestyle and producestream-of-consciousness songs.[234] In an interview forVariety, she recounts that she "never [has] topics" before starting a track.[199] 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.[249] 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."[250]
Collaborations and features
SZA has worked withKendrick Lamar, her most well-known collaborator, on several songs since 2014.
SZA is known for her work relationship with former TDE labelmate Kendrick Lamar.[251][252][253] Heran Mamo ofBillboard writes that they are the "ultimate rapper-singer duo",[254] andHipHopDX's Andy Bustard comments that they are the best such duo of their time.[255] Dubbed by SZA as her "sensei",[236][251] 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.'"[251] The two released their first song together in 2014, which was "Babylon" from SZA's third EPZ.[256] He and SZA have three top 10 singles: "All the Stars" in 2018,[257] the US number-one "Luther" in 2024,[195] and "30 for 30" in 2025.[258]
Many other artists have worked with SZA multiple times. One of her earliest collaborators was rapperMac Miller, who produced two songs fromZ.[259] She first met him when she moved to Los Angeles in 2014.[5][259] Singer and rapperLizzo, whom she befriended after a 2013Red Bull tour,[260] once considered starting a rock band with her.[261] The two co-wrote "F2F" fromSOS when the idea first came to them.[262] 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" fromLana.[note 4] Apart from singers and rappers, there are select producers with whom SZA often works. Two of them,Carter Lang andThankGod4Cody, have produced several of her songs fromCtrl,SOS, andLana.[264][265]
Norma Rowe, SZA's deceased maternal grandmother, appears via sampled voice recordings onCtrl andSOS.[266] Rowe affectionally calls her "Granny",[267] so she is credited as such on both albums.[268][269] Writing forVulture, 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.[266]
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 directorSpike Lee.[205] During an interview withW, SZA spoke on her style influences, saying a large amount of her style inspiration comes from movies, includingWes Anderson films, praising his use of "pantone color palette" and that she "would love to dress like a character fromMoonrise Kingdom. Or perhapsBill Murray inThe Life Aquatic."[270] Along with her music, SZA's image has been compared to neo-soul artists Lauryn Hill andErykah Badu.[271] SZA's hair became a point of interest during the early stages of her career and she discussed it in interviews withVogue andHarper's Bazaar.[203] During her performances, SZA tends to wear "free-flowing" clothes that are easy to move around in and wears pajamas or baggy clothing onstage.[272]
Impact, public image, and views
Impact and legacy
Many critics and musicians credit SZA with significantly influencing the sound of contemporary R&B.[231][273][274] SingerBaby Rose described SZA as "a radical light", whileNME 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.[273]Vogue Australia's Liam Freeman concluded that "it's hard to imagine what an R&Bplaylist would sound like without her now".[275] Reviewing forVariety, 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".[199] 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.[276] Several critics have noted that SZA has cultivated a "girl next door" persona through her music,[277][278] and she has been dubbed the girl next door of R&B by several critics.[147][279]
Billboard recognized SZA as the second-greatest pop star of 2023 and was ranked at the top of the R&B/Hip-Hop Artist chart,[280] while in a 2023Rolling Stone listicle, she is ranked as the 180th best singer of all time.[231] Her albums,Ctrl (2017) andSOS (2022), were ranked at No. 472 and No. 351, respectively, onRolling Stone's list of the500 greatest albums of all time.[281][282] Many retrospectives have creditedCtrl with influencing the sound of contemporary R&B.[283] In 2023, Sophie Williams ofNME 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".[273] TheAustralian Broadcasting Corporation's journalist Al Newstead thought that the album redefined genre boundaries through combining classic R&B andneo soul traditions with modern sounds.[284] Many critics argue thatCtrl propelled SZA to mainstream pop stardom.[285][286][287]
Views
Many of SZA's unreleased songs have beenleaked online, which she has openly criticized, stating, "When people leak my songs, they ruin them".[288] 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".[289] In December 2018, SZA faced her first major leak when a nine-track unreleased album titledComethru was distributed through a label called Scissor. On the album, SZA was credited as "Sister Solana", whileKendrick Lamar made a guest appearance under the name "King Kenny".[290] 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.[291] In March 2024, SZA addressed a fan onTwitter named Janessa who leaked unreleased images and audio, and later deleted and deactivated her accounts before RCA could take action.[292][293] SZA's manager,Punch, noted that leaks frequently result in project delays or complete cancellations.[294]
SZA is also known for herphilanthropic efforts and supports a number of causes, including social and environmental justice as well asPalestinian rights.[276][295] Following Hurricane Harvey in 2017, SZA invited fans to spend time with her afterCtrl the Tour in exchange for donating essential items such as non-perishable food, diapers, gloves, masks, trash bags, and baby food.[296] In 2019, a fan of SZA diagnosed withlupus,sickle cell disease, andCrohn's disease shared on social media that the artist had contributed financially toward herchemotherapy treatments and used her platform to help find a kidney donor.[297] 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 likeblue whales andseahorses.[298] In 2021, SZA partnered with tea brandTazo andAmerican Forests to address environmental racism—disproportionate environmental harm affecting Black and brown communities. The corps comprised 25 locally hired fellows trained inclimate justice advocacy,tree planting, and maintenance.[276][299] During theSOS Tour concert in Australia on April 16, 2024, she expressed her support forPalestine by holdingthe country's flag and calling out, "Free Palestine".[295]
SZA has been vocal in her criticism of the 45th and 47thPresident of the United States,Donald Trump. In 2016, duringthat year's presidential election, she condemned Trump supporters, stating that they endorse "bigotry, lying, andxenophobia" 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 removingMuslims from conferences [and] spewing venomous bigotry[...] yetBeyoncé being positive is scary?"[300]
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".[235] She becamedepressed and developedsuicidal 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 friendMac Miller's accidentallethal overdose in 2018 and grandmother's death in 2020 further pushed her into suicidal thoughts and demotivated her from making music.[8][267]
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 incorporatesHinduism in her personal belief system. In 2020, she hosted an onlinemeditation session with Lizzo on Instagram Live where SZA played a Tibetansinging bowl.[301] SZA went to a silent retreat in India in 2025, refraining from social media use for over a week and practicingsamyama all the while.[302] To maintain her wellness, SZA also doesyoga.[303]
SZA is known for keeping her dating life private.[304] Her known former partners include Canadian rapper and singerDrake, whom she dated in 2009.[305] Another is an unnamed fashion designer, whom she dated for eleven years and was her ex-fiancé for five.[306] She attributes the beginning of her career in part to him, who helped finance her everyday needs; she described her relationship with him ascodependent. The two broke off around 2017, sending SZA in acatastrophizing 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 fromSOS.[304]
^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 fromCtrl's deluxe edition, produced by rapperTyler, the Creator.[209] Itleaked sometime around 2021, and SZA referred to it as "Jodie Foster" then.[210]
^"BMF" was formerly known as "Boy from South Detroit",[164] and initial reports about Lizzo's appearance used that title.[263]
^abCarmichael, Emma (February 26, 2020)."The Rebirth of SZA".Rolling Stone.Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 22, 2025.
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Media related toSZA (singer) at Wikimedia Commons
