SOS

SOS is unabashedly intimate, offering an introspective glimpse into the complex mind of SZA over its long and ambitious 23-track run, but manages to be thematically and sonically concise and cohesive. With her major label debut ‘CTRL’, SZA presented the industry with daring, unconventional melodies that were completely absent of any standard song structures. With SOS, though opting for a more pop-centric approach, retained her unique appeal. If anything SZA has only become more masterful with her lyrical composition, presenting her many thoughts and feelings through narrating her woes and anecdotes, but through a lense that revealed a matured perspective. SZA carries herself with her powerful, emotive voice, proudly pronouncing her inner monologues over melodies and instrumentals that showcase her versatility, with the luscious and luxurious ‘Gone Girl’, where she croons over loneliness, love, and the lost of oneself, the rap-sung, no-fucks-given closing track “Forgiveless”, the pop-crossover, femme fatale anthem ‘Kill Bill’ and the country-rock moment in the record “F2F” in which SZA expresses her desire to utilise copulation to cope with a breakup. SZA is flawed and sentimental, but she tells us that there’s nothing wrong with that. And such introspection has paid off, as SOS is a triumph. One that cements SZA as a generational talent, capable of capturing the hearts of millions around the world.