Solána Imani Rowe, known as SZA, is an American songwriter and singer, known for her major influence in contemporary RnB music. SZA has been dropping music since 2012, with her self-released Eps See.SZA.Run and S. Gaining traction and notice, SZA then signed with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2013 before dropping her third EP, Z.
On June 9, 2017, SZA dropped her debut album, CTRL. Her album was well received and a massive success, launching SZA into mainstream music, with a debut of three on the Billboard top 200, four grammy nominations and a ranking of 472 on Rolling Stone’s ‘500 Greatest Albums of All Time.’ Considered “the soundtrack of young black womanhood,” SZA encapsulates the feeling of being a young adult navigating life, and experiencing the feeling of liberation, and fear, of young freedom, to embrace vulnerability while cultivating resilience.
Tracks like "Normal Girl" show SZA opening up about wanting to fit into society's idea of the "model" woman, but how she embraces her own individuality, even if it doesnt align with the status quo. "Broken Clocks" notes how SZA has made sacrifices in order to chase her dreams. Disconnecting from traditional schedules and losing ones self into their grind and pursuit to keep moving forward was well said in a part of her chorus: 'I ain't got no time, just burning daylight.'
The desire to belong, feelings of insecurity, the search of love; a resounding theme of CTRL is that going through mistakes in life, from friends, family or loved ones is inevitable. One can’t really “CTRL” everything that life throws at them. Sometimes, you need to stand up for what you want in life. And sometimes, it’s better to hang on for the ride and see where life takes you, on your journey to self-discovery.
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