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With just her 3rd EP, “Z,” the girl from Jersey crept into the Billboard Top 40, cementing her place in mainstream music. However, it was with her next re- lease that she became a genuine celebrity. A long year in the studio led to an album, originally named “A” to complete the trilogy of EPs. After friction between SZA and the media empire caused its release to stall, SZA tweeted out, “I actually quit. [Punch] can release my album if he ever feels like it – y’all be blessed.” It’s worth noting that TDE has fouled up releases before, including accidentally releasing Kendrick’s classic “To Pimp a Butterfly” way before copies were available for retail.
Finally, after some back and forth, the newly rechris- tened “CTRL” dropped in 2017. It felt like the right name, SZA reflected. “All my life, I’ve craved control, even with this situation [with TDE]. I’ve never had control, I still don’t.” The rest is very recent history: SZA charged to the 2018 Grammys with 5 nomina- tions, leading the field for female artists.
Despite leaving without one of the shiny gramophones, her album won over legions of fans. From a bittersweet romance in “Love Galore” to the vulnerability of sharing a lover on “The Weekend” to the inexplicable marriage of R&B and poetry on “Broken Clocks,” the album drew praise for both its understated, dreamy sound and strong, honest storytelling. It’s a triumph SZA literally can’t live down: since its release, she’s been on tour promoting “CTRL,”, at festivals in Australia (FOMO) and Delaware (Firefly), and TDE’s The Championship Tour.
It’s an incredible lifestyle change in barely 6 years, and she’s still getting used to it. While SZA’s performances are supported by a huge entourage, it wasn’t long ago that she didn’t even have a complete band together to practice with. And even if the venues are nice theaters and expen- sive clubs, a walk into SZA’s room pre-performance room confirms that some things stay the same: there she’ll be, curler in one hand, debating whether to pop a half a xan for nerves, Solána once again. Then: lights, camera, ac- tion. A mask comes down; SZA is here.
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