Reviewing SZA’s Grammy Award winning album after its two year anniversary

Back in 2022, Solana Imani Rowe, better known as SZA, released her highly anticipated sophomore album, SOS. This was her first album in five years, following the release of Ctrl in 2017, so fans were thrilled to finally get new music. SOS has since become her most well known work, turning her into a more mainstream artist. Following the album and its success, SZA went on her first ever arena tour and is now performing in stadiums where major artists like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé have held concerts. This December marked the two year anniversary of SOS, which inspired me to sit down and revisit the album.
The album starts off with the title track, which is the first song on SOS. SZA chose the perfect song to open with because it is short, but it still gets her point across and sets the album off on a strong, confident note. Like many artists, she likes to use samples from other songs. In this track, she sampled Until I Found the Lord by The Gabriel Hardeman Delegation and Listen by Beyoncé.
Right after the intro comes one of her most popular songs from the album, Kill Bill. The song is named after the famous 2000s movie Kill Bill starring Uma Thurman. SZA even took inspiration from the movie when she made the music video for the song. In Kill Bill, SZA talks about how, after breaking up with her ex, nothing helps her move on. She says if she can not have him, no one will. The line “I did all of this sober, I did it all for us” shows that she did not need any help, she knew what had to be done, and she did it. In the end, she finally reaches him and kills him, but her feelings are still complicated. This is found when she says, “I just killed my ex, I still love him though.”
After listening to my personal favorite, Seek & Destroy, and the two tracks following that, next is the sixth song titled Blind. Blind is a mainly acoustic song that she teased on Saturday Night Live before the album came out. It is a very emotional song where she feels as if she is blind and lost when it comes to love, as if she does not even understand the definition of love anymore. It is probably one of my favorites because it is easy to releate to because feeling lost or blind can happen in all types of situations, not just love, and it overall is a very pretty song with her vocals and the instrumental. Once Blind is finished, Used, featuring R&B singer and rapper Don Toliver is next. After that comes the second most popular song on the album, “Snooze.” Snooze is a love song about how, when she truly cares for someone, she will do anything for them because the love they share is all that matters. SZA also released a music video for this song featuring a special guest, Justin Bieber. Shortly after the video dropped, SZA and Bieber put out an acoustic remix of the song where Justin is featured.
Skip ahead to the second to last song on the album, Good Days, which was actually the first single released back in 2020. Good Days stands out with its calming instrumental that perfectly connects with the song’s lyrics. The track is all about letting go of the weight and stress of life and finding freedom and peace. Whenever I am feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I like to listen to this song because it is almost like a reminder to calm down and just be present in the moment. It helps me get back to the idea that everything does not have to be perfect, and sometimes it is okay to just take a step back. I think Good Days was the perfect song to release first because, in many ways, it sets the tone for the rest of the album. The whole project feels like SZA unloading her emotions and struggles, finally able to express everything she has been holding onto. It is as if the entire album is her journey to feel normal again, and Good Days is the perfect introduction to that process of healing. I also think it was a great idea of hers to put it second to last on the album because it feels like after all the trouble she has gone through throughout the album, it is finally over and in the end everything will be ok.
Overall, SOS is an emotional album that takes listeners through SZA’s experiences with heartbreak, self discovery, and healing. The album mixes different styles and themes, with songs that are both bold and confident as well as vulnerable and reflective. From the powerful energy of “Kill Bill” to the calming feel of “Good Days,” SZA uses her voice and lyrics to share her personal struggles and growth. SOS not only helped her become a mainstream artist but also showed that she is not afraid to be open and real in her music.