Ctrl

After seeing SZA absolutely kill it alongside Kendrick Lamar last night at Gillette Stadium, I finally dove into her discography, starting with her critically acclaimed breakout in "Ctrl." Honestly, I can’t believe it took me this long to give her a proper listen, because she’s totally outstanding.

This record feels like a natural evolution of a lot of R&B I already love (Lauryn Hill, Frank Ocean, Tyler The Creator, etc.), but even calling it “R&B” feels limiting. SZA moves across genres fluidly, blending alt-rock guitars, psychedelic backing tracks, and trap hi-hats into a woozy, unique, and comforting sound. They especially complement her gorgeous vocals, which are distinct, raw, and emotionally honest. And that's not to forget the vulnerable confidence she emits in her deeply personal lyrics. If I had one nitpick, it's that the album can be a little too subdued at times, but the consistency throughout is remarkable. Definitely a well deserved album of the year contender for when it came out and one of the best records of the 2010s.