Solána Imani Rowe (born November 8, 1989), known professionally asSZA (/ˈsɪzə/ⓘSIZ-ə), is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her diaristic lyrics and genre explorations, she is regarded as a prominent figure in influencingcontemporary R&B music and popularizingalternative R&B.
SZA signed withTop Dawg Entertainment in 2013 after gaining attention online with two self-releasedextended plays (EP). Under the label, she released thelo-fi andpsychedelic EPZ (2014), then her R&B debut albumCtrl (2017). The latter was a critical success; it placed in several year-end lists and earned SZA fiveGrammy Award nominations in 2018. AfterCtrl, she embarked on a four-year series of collaborations, including theAcademy Award–nominated "All the Stars" (2018) withKendrick Lamar, which reached the top 10 in the US and UK. Her feature onDoja Cat's "Kiss Me More" (2021) won SZA her first Grammy Award.
With the acclaimed and multi-genreSOS (2022), SZA set several new chart records. The album became the first by a woman to spend 100 weeks in theBillboard 200's top 10 and broke the record for the longest-running US top-10 by a Black musician. Its fifth single, "Kill Bill", was the third best-selling song of 2023 and peaked atop theBillboard Hot 100. From 2024 to 2025, SZA achieved a string of top-tens with "Saturn" and "30 for 30", both from the deluxe reissue ofSOS entitledLana (2024), and her longest-running US number-one "Luther". Her 2025Grand National Tour with Lamar is the highest-grossing co-headlining tour in history.
Solána Imani Rowe[1] was born inSt. Louis, Missouri, on November 8, 1989.[2][3] She grew up inMaplewood, New Jersey, with parents who are from theSouthern United States. Her mother, Audrey, is a former executive atAT&T, and her father, Abdul, used to be a video producer 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 a hijab 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 danced at several strip clubs in New Jersey and New York City.[18] Rowe's stage name, SZA, 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]
Career
2011–2014: Career beginnings and EPs
SZA performing in 2013
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; many of the beats were taken 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 the former began garnering attention with the release of her two EPs, TDE signed 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]
Throughout 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 theBillboard 200; it sold 6,980 copies in its first week and peaked at number 9 onTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[45]Z acquired a smallcult following online,[46] gaining popularity within niche communities onTumblr which contributed to her slow rise in popularity.[47] By the end of the year, SZAopened forJhené Aiko's Enter the Void Tour[48] andColdplay'sGhost Stories Tour.[49]
During 2014, SZA befriended record producerThankGod4Cody during a time when he was working on music for Rashad.[50][51] One time, she overheard him making a beat from the next room, and they decided to build a song out of it. It eventually became the standalone single "Sobriety".[51] She released it viaSoundCloud in November, with the genre tag "Not R&B".[52] In 2015, she met another record producer,Carter Lang, via a chance encounter at a studio; they and ThankGod4Cody began a work relationship the same year, collaborating on an upcoming project by SZA.[51]Initially given the titleA, the project was going to be the final EP of the "SZA" trilogy that started withS.[53] Work on it started back in 2014.[54] As time passed,A slowly developed into SZA's debut albumCtrl.[55]
2015–2018:Ctrl and breakthrough
A's release date was initially scheduled for late 2015.[56] However, due to disputes with TDE and persistent feelings of anxiety fueled by her perfectionism, SZA had to rework the project multiple times.[57][58] The label then postponed its release from 2015 to the start of 2016.[56] In a February post onInstagram, TDE impliedA was in its final stage of creation and would be released the same year.[59] One of its prospective songs, "TwoAM",[60] was surprise-released through their SoundCloud account in May;[61] it was eventually scrapped from the tracklist.[60] Later that same month, SZA toldEntertainment Weekly thatA was now growing into a full-length album.[62] A mid-2016 release date was planned for the project,[63] only for it to be delayed again to November 8.[64] With frustrations mounting due to TDE's postponements, SZA angrily announced onTwitter that she wanted to quit music. She later retracted her statement.[65]
While working onA, SZA was co-writing songs for other singers.[53] She co-wrote "Feeling Myself" byNicki Minaj andBeyoncé in 2014,[66] Scott's "Ok Alright" in 2015,[67] andRihanna's "Consideration" in 2016. "Consideration" was going to be onA as a track called "LouAnne Johnson"; SZA deemed it the album's "centerpiece" and even had a music video filmed.[68] Much to her disappointment, TDE had other plans, handing the song to Rihanna for her albumAnti and making SZA a feature instead.[69] Regardless, "Consideration" contributed to SZA's breakthrough, and she grew to appreciate the label's decision.[70] Apart from Rihanna, SZA's other collaborators from 2014 to 2016 included her several labelmates like Lamar,[53][71] Rashad,[72]Ab-Soul,[73] and Schoolboy Q.[74]
SZA performing in Toronto on theCtrl The Tour in August 2017
Ctrl was universally acclaimed upon its release.[85][86] Several publications included it on their 2017 year-end lists; the album toppedTime's ranking[87] and placed at number 2 onBillboard's,[88]Pitchfork's,[89] andNPR's.[90] In the US,Ctrl debuted at number 3 on theBillboard 200, sold 60,000 first-week units,[85] and became the second longest-charting R&B album by a woman.[91] Its run has lasted for over eight consecutive years.[92] Furthermore, "The Weekend" and "Love Galore" peaked within the top 40 of theBillboard Hot 100.[93]In 2018, SZA received her first fiveGrammy nominations due to her work onCtrl, includingBest New Artist.[94][95] Although she was the most-nominated woman for that year, she did not win in any category.[96][97]
SZA took five years to release her second album,SOS (2022).[109][110] She became increasinglyburned out the longer she worked on it. SZA was frequently unsatisfied and bored with the music she was writing, and she was worried about making sure her creative decisions for the album made sense. She considered quitting music again if critical reception ofSOS were overwhelmingly negative.[110] Allegations of further label tensions rose when she tweeted and deleted, "At this point y'all gotta ask Punch", in 2020.[111][112] In a follow-up tweet, she mentioned that all he ever told her about releasing new music was "soon". 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.[113]
SZA continued her string of collaborations while she was working onSOS and hinting at its release.[109][110] Her single with American rapperDoja Cat – "Kiss Me More" – was one of the most successful songs of 2021.[114][115] It gave SZA her first Grammy Award: one forBest Pop Duo/Group Performance.[114] SZA had been releasing more singles as a lead artist as well, teasing new songs at the outro of their music videos to raise anticipation forSOS.[116][117] Many of the songswent viral on the social media applicationTikTok, which TDE leveraged for the album's promotional strategy.[117][118] This series of singles began with the standalone "Hit Different" in September 2020, followed by theSOS lead single "Good Days" in December.[119] "Good Days" peaked at number 9 on the Hot 100, her first solo top-10 in the US.[120][121] The second and thirdSOS singles, "I Hate U" (2021) and "Shirt" (2022), peaked at numbers 7 and 11.[122] Their official releases happened after SZA shared their demo versions online and they went viral on TikTok.[123][124] "I Hate U" was originally a SoundCloud-exclusive, uploaded alongside "Nightbird" and "Joni" at the advice of SZA'sastrologer.[125][126] Before becoming a single, "Shirt" was teased via snippets since late 2020.[124][127]
In 2022, SZA released a deluxe edition ofCtrl to celebrate its five-year anniversary.[93][128] The deluxe version consisted of seven scrapped outtakes, including "TwoAM" (now spelled "2AM").[129] Later in November, SZA posted the teaser forSOS on social media. The video, soundtracked to her then-unreleased "PSA", hinted at the album's title by playing its correspondingMorse code.[130] The standard version ofSOS was released on December 9 to widespread acclaim.[131][132] Critics agreed that it surpassed expectations that arose from the years-long wait.[133]SOS was a multi-genre work;[134] it was a product of SZA's desire to prove her versatility, after the media had consistently called her an R&B artist.[135][136] With the album, SZA combined R&B with a variety of genres likerap,rock, andpop.[137][138]
SOS was a huge commercial success.[139][140] It spent over ten weeks atop theBillboard 200,[141] was the second most-streamed album of 2023 globally,[142] and set a diverse array of chart records.[143][144] The album surpassedAdele's21 andMichael Jackson'sThriller as the longest-running US top-10 by, respectively, a woman and a Black artist.[145][146] Following its release,SOS spawned three more singles: "Nobody Gets Me", "Kill Bill", and "Snooze".[147] "Kill Bill" topped theBillboard Hot 100 and was the third best-selling single of 2023, accruing 1.84 billion units worldwide based on streams anddigital sales.[148][149] At the2024 Grammy Awards, where SZA was the most-nominated artist,SOS and "Snooze" wonBest Progressive R&B Album andBest R&B Song, respectively.[150][151] From 2023 to 2024, SZA embarked on theSOS Tour to promote the album.[53][152]
In September 2023, SZA performed at an invite-only show inBrooklyn Navy Yard to celebrate the success ofSOS. Included in the set were "PSA" alongside three other unreleased songs: "Saturn", "Diamond Boy (DTM)", and "BMF".[153][154] SZA told the crowd that the deluxe edition ofSOS, titledLana, would be "coming soon".[154] That same month, she featured onDrake's "Slime You Out", which became her second USBillboard Hot 100 number-one.[155] In November, she stated toVariety thatLana was not a conventional deluxe edition, but virtually a new album with a tracklist that was continuously expanding.[156] Many of the songs were newly recorded pieces of music; others were outtakes fromSOS.[157]
Variety andTime magazines listedLana as one of the most anticipated albums of 2024.[158][159] SZA announced in November via a livestream byTwitch entertainerKai Cenat that the album would be out by the end of the year.[160] It was released on December 20, 2024,[161] and rereleased with four more tracks on February 9 of the following year.[162] The standard edition ofLana was preceded by the lead single "Saturn", which she debuted at the 2024 Grammy Awards and which won Best R&B Song atthe next ceremony. It peaked at number 6 on the Hot 100, her tenth top-10 on the chart.[163] Two more songs she performed at Brooklyn Navy Yard – "Diamond Boy (DTM)" and "BMF" – were also included onLana.[154] The latter was released as a single from the reissue in 2025, alongside a collaboration with Lamar titled "30 for 30".[164][165] The reissue's updated version featured "PSA" and "Joni",[166] the latter of which hadleaked back in 2023.[167] After the rerelease,SOS returned to the top of theBillboard 200 for its eleventh and twelfth weeks at number one. Its last week at number one was in early 2023, makingSOS the album with the longest time between weeks atop the chart.[168][169] In August, the album reached its 100th week in theBillboard 200 top 10, the first by a woman to do so.[170]
In November 2024, Lamar, who had left TDE back in 2022, released his sixth studio albumGNX.[171] SZA appeared on two songs, the third track "Luther" and the closing track "Gloria".[172] In support ofGNX andLana, the duo embarked on theGrand National Tour starting in April 2025,[173] breaking the record for the highest-grossing co-headlining tour.[174]SOS topped theBillboard 200 a week after the first show, which marked the album's thirteenth week at number one.[175] Prior to the Grand National Tour, SZA appeared alongside Lamar in his performance for theSuper Bowl LIX halftime show, duetting some of their collaborations.[176] Following this, "30 for 30" reached a new peak of number 10 on the Hot 100, despite not being part of the set list.[177] The week after, "Luther" began a consecutive 13-week run atop the Hot 100 and became SZA's longest-running number-one in the US.[178][179]
Outside music, SZA ventured into other creative projects in 2025, beginning work on cosmetic and fashion products. During the Grand National Tour, she launched Not Beauty, a line of lip products available exclusively in pop-up stores at concert venues.[180] She was announced as the first artistic director of shoe companyVans, and she is set to collaborate with them on exclusive fashion collections.[181][182] In television and film, SZA appeared as a guest in the 55th season ofSesame Street and co-starred alongsideKeke Palmer in thebuddy comedy filmOne of Them Days (2025).[183] Several critics praised the synergy between SZA and Palmer,[184][185][186] and 93% of the 106 reviews from critics fromRotten Tomatoes gave the film a positive review.[187]
Teasing the release of upcoming songs, SZA posted snippets of new music on an alternate Instagram account in August 2025. One of the tracks was tentatively named "Let You Know", an R&B track with an airy soundscape.[188] In September, she teased two upcoming music collaborations: a remix of "Yukon" byJustin Bieber and a livestream withMariah Carey for an Apple Music event promoting her albumHere for It All (2025).[189][190] SZA also featured on a song from Doja Cat's albumVie, titled "Take Me Dancing",[191] and collaborated with Nigerian-American rapper Moruf on his standalone single "PT Cruiser".[192]
Growing up, SZA was exposed by her family to artists from different genres, which were formative influences for her music.[193] Her mother enjoyed R&B andchurch music,[194] her father was a fan ofjazz andfunk musicians likeMiles Davis,Billie Holiday, andJohn Coltrane,[195][63] and her sister listened to melodic rap and hip-hop artists likeTupac Shakur.[5][193] SZA listens toElla Fitzgerald for vocal influence[196] and has said thatLauryn Hill is one of her personal influences.[197] SZA has expressed admiration for singerAshanti, citing her as a major inspiration and someone she has loved since childhood.[198]
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."[199] In an interview forLive Nation Entertainment, SZA described the meeting she had with Beyoncé for the writing of "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 for Rihanna, praising her strong and confident attitude and her commitment to creating only the music she truly wants to make.[200]
SZA self-identifies with the label "alternative", and she has resisted being categorized solely as R&B throughout her career. One song that demonstrates her style of alternative music is her 2017 single "Drew Barrymore".[79][47]
Throughout her career, SZA has experimented with various genres, likehip-hop, in tandem with R&B.[47][209] In the single "30 for 30", SZA combines her usual R&B singing style with a rap flow.[210][211]
Critics have frequently described SZA as an R&B singer-songwriter,[212] a narrative for which she has expressed disdain since the beginning of her career. In 2014, when she uploaded the single "Teen Spirit" on SoundCloud, she tagged the song with the categories "Glitter Trap" and "Not R&B".[52] SZA's earliest songs are built around dreamlike,psychedelic, and lo-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 like rock music. Many of her songs fromCtrl have influences ofalternative rock, whereas one track fromSOS, "F2F", is explicitlypop rock.[79][47] In her view, her being described as a contemporary R&B artist in the media is restrictive and racially prejudiced.[213] 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][214] 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?"[214]
Outside of R&B, critics have also written that several of her works combine the genre withhip-hop[215][216] or pop 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."[217] "Genreagnosticism" was how Michael Madden ofConsequence described SZA's musical style.[218]
Voice
According toRolling Stone's Marissa G. Muller, SZA's voice alternates between a "vapory husk and a sky-high falsetto".[219] Jordan Sargent, in aPitchfork review ofZ, describes her vocals as "chillwave" and "ethereal".[220] Her vocal style has been described as taking on the "lilt" of a jazz singer.[221]
SZA has a slight speech impediment, which influences her delivery.[222] Her fans treat it as a running joke, saying that she sings in "cursive anditalics".[222][223] 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."[224]
Songwriting
Writing process
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.[225] She personally considers her songwriting awards as her most important achievements, having started her career without anyone to write for her.[226] An enjoyer of poetry, SZA began writing songs due to her passion about the hobby.[25]
SZA also thinks of songwriting as a form of self-therapy, using it to record and resolve her struggles.[227] However, when she tries to draw from her experiences and emotions, the weight of the pain can be too much to bear. She sometimes writes from the perspective of other people; due to her tendency to self-deprecate, SZA sees the writing technique as a way to "say nicer things about [herself]".[228] 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.[229][230] SZA's other muses include singer-songwriterFrank Ocean and rapperFuture.[228]
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.[25] In an interview forVariety, she recounts that she "never [has] topics" before starting a track.[194] 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.[11] 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."[231]
Analyses
SZA's writing style, as noted by Mesfin Fekadu in a review forThe Hollywood Reporter, often takes a vulnerable, confessional, and reflective tone.[232] She explores many common fears among adolescents and young adults, such as living up to beauty standards or grappling with being in one's 20s.[233] Much of her music is about heartbreak, nostalgia, abandonment, and self-worth.[234][235][236][237][238][239] 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."[47] SZA once explained that her feeling excluded in school as a child motivated her to prioritize creating an inclusive environment for both herself and her fans.[240] As her career evolved pastCtrl, her writing had become more aggressive, unafraid to show her competitiveness and "not a nice girl" attitude.[208]
Several critics have noted that SZA has cultivated a "girl next door" persona through her music,[241][242] and she has been dubbed the girl next door of R&B.[233][243] Many have also spoken about her songwriting's relatability—mainly due to its exploration of insecurity—to other Black women.Billboard journalists wrote that her style of self-deprecation was effective in gaining a devoted audience of "awkward" and anxious Black girls, reflecting the distinct shame they experience in their dating life due tomisogynoir.[233][244]Elle journalist DeAsia Paige argues that SZA encourages such girls 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.[245] When SZA spoke about how Barrymore inspired the eponymous song, she said that she grew up not seeing herself represented enough in media like television series.[222]
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.[246][247][248] Heran Mamo ofBillboard writes that they are the "ultimate rapper-singer duo",[163] andHipHopDX's Andy Bustard comments that they are the best such duo of their time.[249] Dubbed by SZA as her "sensei",[228][246] 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.'"[246] The two released their first song together in 2014, which was "Babylon" from SZA's third EPZ.[250] He and SZA have three top-ten singles: "All the Stars" in 2018,[251] the US number one "Luther" in 2024,[178] and "30 for 30" in 2025.[252]
Many other artists have worked with SZA multiple times. One of her earliest collaborators was rapperMac Miller, who produced two songs fromZ.[253] She first met him when she moved to Los Angeles in 2014.[5][253] SZA and singer and rapper Lizzo, whom she befriended after a 2013Red Bull tour,[254] once considered starting a rock band.[255] The two co-wrote "F2F" fromSOS when the idea first came to them.[256] In 2023, Lizzo released a remix of "Special" featuring SZA,[257] and she was originally going to be a feature on "BMF".[note 2] 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.[51][259]
Norma Rowe, SZA's deceased maternal grandmother, appears via sampled voice recordings onCtrl andSOS.[260] Rowe affectionally calls her "Granny",[261] and she is credited as such on both albums.[262][263] 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.[260]
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.[199] 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."[264] Along with her music, SZA's image has been compared to neo-soul artists Lauryn Hill andErykah Badu.[265] 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.[197] During her performances, SZA tends to wear "free-flowing" clothes that are easy to move around in and wears pajamas or baggy clothing onstage.[266]
Reception and legacy
Several critics and musicians credit SZA with significantly influencing the state of contemporary R&B.[224][267][268][269] Some wrote that she was instrumental in bringing the genre, which had peaked in the late 20th century and declined with the rise of hip-hop, into the mainstream again.[269][270] According tothe Recording Academy's Princess Gabbara, SZA's success helped to "[flip] R&B on its head and [shatter] the tired trope that '[the genre] is dead.'"[270]BET's Khalilah Archie wrote that SZA embodied an important shift for the genre – making vulnerable lyrics a more prominent staple of R&B music.[271] Many of her contemporaries likeSummer Walker,Tink, andAri Lennox have been influenced by her songwriting;[270][272]Baby Rose described her as "a radical light".[267] Critics also cite SZA as a prominent figure in the rise of alternative R&B music.[269][273]
In 2023, Sophie Williams ofNME called SZA one of the most influential voices in contemporary music. She wrote that few artists have shaped the sound of modern R&B as much as her.[267]Vogue Australia's Liam Freeman said that "it's hard to imagine what an R&Bplaylist would sound like without her now".[274] SZA's debut album has been credited in numerous retrospectives as not only propelling her to mainstream success,[275][276][277] but also shaping the sound of R&B.[272][278][279] Williams highlighted the album's lasting influence, noting that even six years after its release, its impact continues to shape a "new generation of young, bright artists".[267] TheAustralian Broadcasting Corporation's Al Newstead thought that the album redefined genre boundaries through combining classic R&B andneo soul traditions with modern sounds.[280]
In 2025,Billboard ranked SZA as the 44th-greatest R&B musician of all time. Staff writer Heran Mamo wrote that SZA was proof that "artists with an R&B foundation [...] can successfully break through the genre's borders and ascend into pop's upper echelon".[233] In an unrelated article, Mamo compared the trajectory of her career to that of Beyoncé, who debuted as an R&B artist and found crossover success as she expanded her sound.[281]Rolling Stone, meanwhile, put SZA at number 180 on their 2023 list of the 200 greatest singers.[224] The magazine also rankedCtrl andSOS at numbers 472 and 351, respectively, on their 2023 list of the500 greatest albums of all time.[282][283]
Public image and views
Social media use
SZA has a strong online presence. Early in her career, she was very active on the social media siteTumblr,[284] where many people discovered her EPs and contributed to her rise to fame.[47] SZA described Tumblr as "her shit" and "such a crazy place" when she was still scouring the website.[284] She also usesTwitter frequently to express her thoughts, share updates on music and projects, and to talk to fans.[285][286] OnInstagram, SZA postsReels and Stories and releases teasers or snippets of upcoming works.[287][288][289] Her songs often go viral onTikTok, which she uses to her advantage when promoting music.[290]
Music leaks
Many of SZA's unreleased songs have been leaked online, which she has openly criticized, stating, "When people leak my songs, they ruin them".[291] 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".[292] 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", while Lamar made a guest appearance under the name "King Kenny".[293] 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.[294] In March 2024, SZA addressed a fan on Twitter who leaked unreleased images and audio, and later deleted and deactivated her accounts before RCA could take action.[295][296] Punch noted that leaks frequently result in project delays or complete cancellations.[297]
Philanthropy and activism
Part of SZA'sphilanthropy is advocating for environmental justice and spreading awareness about theclimate crisis.[240][298] 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.[299] In 2019, a fan of SZA diagnosed withlupus,sickle cell disease, andCrohn's disease shared on social media that she had contributed financially toward herchemotherapy treatments and used her platform to help find a kidney donor.[300] 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.[301]
SZA has been candid about her struggles with mental health, describing the music industry as "one of the most stressful, psychosis-inducing industries".[227] 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 friend Mac 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][261]
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.[304] She has practiced and identified with Christianity,[304] 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.[305] She went to a silent retreat in India in 2025, refraining from social media use for over a week and practicingsamyama all the while.[306] To maintain her wellness, she doesyoga.[307]
SZA is known for keeping her dating life private.[308] Her known former partners include Drake, whom she dated in 2009.[309] Another is an unnamed fashion designer, with whom she was in a relationship for eleven years, five years of which were spentengaged to be married.[310] 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". "Nobody Gets Me" was written about him, as were many other songs fromSOS.[308]
^"Jodie" is a song fromCtrl's deluxe edition, produced by rapperTyler, the Creator.[203] Itleaked sometime around 2021, and SZA referred to it as "Jodie Foster" then.[204]
^"BMF" was formerly known as "Boy from South Detroit",[154] and initial reports about Lizzo's appearance used that title.[258]
^abCarmichael, Emma (February 26, 2020)."The Rebirth of SZA".Rolling Stone.Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 22, 2025.
^abcdAnderson, Trevor; Coveney, Janine; Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie; Denis, Kyle; Diaz, Angel; Ketchum, William E. III; Lamarre, Carl; Lynch, Joe; Mamo, Heran; Mitchell, Gail; Saponara, Michael; Unterberger, Andrew (June 19, 2025)."The 75 Best R&B Artists of All Time (Full List): Staff Picks".Billboard.Archived from the original on June 22, 2025. RetrievedJune 22, 2025.
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Media related toSZA (singer) at Wikimedia Commons
