Solána Imani Rowe or SZA, began making music in the early 2010s. Her debut album, Ctrl, was released in 2017, and upon its release it quickly became a critically acclaimed album. Spending a total of 260 weeks on the Billboard’s Top 200 chart, and still remains there today. The album was number one on the top R&B albums list and was there for two weeks, which helped her break the record for being the first black female artist to spend the most weeks on billboard charts consecutively.

In 2022 SZA released her second album SOS. The album quickly received widespread critical acclaim for its electric sound, and vocal delivery. She has an unbelievable flow, it’s emotional, challenging, and unpredictable. Making the tracks almost sound like spontaneous confessions.

What makes this album so unique to me is SZAs ability to race through syllables like a rapper, then land on a melodic phrase that quickly turns into a chorus; critics calling her sound casually acrobatic.

In the first track ¨SOS¨ (the opener to the album) she says ¨I just want what’s mine.¨ And she spends the rest of the album trying to configure exactly what that means for her. Casual hookups or lasting love, relationships or independence, revenge or forgiveness, power or trust. In the album we listen to her ponder and interrogate her inner impulses, all while juggling the demands of her career.

One of my favorite tracks off the album is ¨seek and destroy¨. The song presents a challenging idea of love that isn’t always talked about. Throughout the track she discusses the damaging nature of a past relationship. And instead of healing as one would hope SZA navigates these sad emotions into vengeance, but in the end decides that it’s not worth it; again tying back into the theme of trying to configure exactly what is best for her.

SOS blends between rapping, singing, and confessional self exporational ballads. This album is a genius blend of genres. SZA, building her own unique sounds; rapping over hazy, gritty, and grim productions. The album leads into every shade of SZAs feelings, And definitely deserves a listen.