SZA RETURNS WITH “SOS DELUXE: LANA”
Credit of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and RCA Records. Protected under fair use.
SZA (Solána Imani Rowe) has released her latest music venture into the world, “LANA.” Serving as the back-half to her critically acclaimed second album “SOS,” this deluxe edition of the album curates a deeper run into the fields of both self-discovery and finding closure within oneself.
The world has felt the SZA renaissance ever since her debut album “Ctrl” touched the hearts of fans across the globe.
COMPASS Senior Rhyan Shipp credits SZA as an inspiration, stating, “SZA is a fantastic artist! She has a beautiful voice and I believe she is an example of black excellence.” Accolades are no stranger to SZA. After smash-hit “Kill Bill” spent over 20 weeks at the Number 1 spot of the Billboard Hot 100, fans were left on their toes curious to what the superstar’s newest project would encompass.
Opening the album with “No More Hiding,” SZA formats a naturalistic approach to the album with enchanting synths. She utilizes this charming instrumentation to offer a story about battling internal facades she had set about herself. Rather than concentrating on countless hoaxes, she attempts to shift her focus on what is ‘real’ around her “Hurting for real, chasing a real—anything real.”
Recalling a phone call that exposed her partner’s infidelity in “What Do I Do,” SZA is left feeling betrayed yet perplexed over how to move forward since she still emotionally resonates with this person. Illusioned, in “Love Me 4 Me” SZA is trapped, convinced that this man was the only person to love her for her true self. “Another Life” is the aftermath of the love-battle, “I don’t care who you marry, mine…Maybe in another life.” No longer in each other’s lives, in the moody-drum ballad, SZA fantasizes that they had the potential to be soul-mates in an alternative reality.
The ghost of a former love haunts SZA in “Kitchen,” “Makes me forget—I forgive him, mama told me I don’t listen, back again.” Refusing to let go of decaying memories containing unconditional love, she is caught in a dilemma. Constantly remarking how challenging it is for her to do what is best for her, she comes to her senses as the song spins on its head.
Comprehending that the version of the person she originally fell in love with has evolved into someone she no longer recognizes, she grants herself the green light to release herself from this mental prison. As she navigates how to process her emotions, “Drive” is about a late-night ride with the intention to ease her mind, “I been up ’til midnight, drivin’ to nowhere, bumpin’ a slow song, can’t get my head clear.”
In “Diamond Boy DTM” SZA’s worst enemy is not anyone but herself. Throughout the song, she builds a theme of paranoia within believing she is intemperate inside of her relationships, as she describes, ‘doing too much.’
“Crybaby” keeps this self-destructing mindset alive, but in this roll around she takes accountability to call out her behavior, “’Cause all I seem to do is get in my way, then blame you, it’s just a cycle.” A metamorphosis hatches inside “Scorsese Baby Daddy,” over gritty-guitars, her anxiety over being “too much” reappears, but this time it dissolves into acceptance. “I hate to be the one doing the most, that’s what it takes, though…You love me for it.” Here, she’s able to access the behavioral chemistry between the two, further reassuring to herself that their love is mutual.
What goes around comes back around. In “My Turn” SZA believes she’s getting her karma for not just the good, but also the bad. Rather than having a hunch of defeat, she chooses to see both outcomes as learning sprouts, attempting to be resilient. Fully finding her element, both “Chill Baby” and “Get Behind Me (Interlude)” showcase SZA finding the ability to leave behind negativity in her life.
Fan favorite “BMF” has seen triumphant success on streaming services, becoming the highest streamed deep-cut for the album. Laying over the addicting melodic bossa-nova beats, SZA swoons as cupid’s bow struck her straight to the heart, “Be your Jane, you could be my Tarzan.”
Ditching the love-life euphoria, every bar of “30 For 30” featuring Kendrick Lamar represented how multi-facilitated the album would be. Both musicians sing in dual harmonies about their aggressive work environments in the music industry. Detailing the hardships they faced, but also overcame, this track almost becomes a track-record of the success of their musical careers.
Transacting the album with “Saturn,” SZA daydreams ditching the earth for a world of simplicity. “I’ll be better on Saturn, none of this matters, dreaming of Saturn” is the closing chorus of the album, as her planetary departure is imminent, she frames the planet of Saturn as a metaphor to leaving this chapter of her life behind. SZA comes full circle on this track, not only overcoming all of her hardships explored in the album, she now alludes to being hopeful for brighter skies in the patterns of life. Saturn would go on to win Best R&B Song at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
While experimenting with sounds never touched inside her prior projects, “LANA” has broken both instrumental and lyrical barriers in her primary music genre, R&B. Beginning from the meadows of sorrow, SZA has curated a journey of letting misery go to adventure the lands of self-liberation.
