Zeke Vanguardia ’27
EE Staff Writer
Towards the end of August of this year, SZA released an official music video and a remix of her song, “Snooze”, only 259 days after she released her complete album, “SOS.” Though released in early December of 2022, the release ultimately brought fans in, leading to the song rising to the charts for its relatable meaning and unforgettable beats.
Solána Imani Rowe (stage name, SZA) was born on November 8th, 1989, in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. Solána was born to Audrey Rowe, an executive at AT&T, and Abdul-Alim Mubarak-Rowe, an executive producer for CNN. For most of her childhood, Solána was raised in Maplewood, New Jersey, and brought up in orthodox Muslim customs.
She was often faced with teasing and judgment from her peers as a result of her Muslim identity and being one of the few black people in her community.
During her college years, she attended numerous schools until she decided to study marine biology at Delaware State University. However, her mental health soon began to plummet, which influenced her to drop out of the course during her final semester. In the following summer, Solána studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and later interned for the Billionaire Boys Club; a clothing brand composed of fashion designers and music producers alike, such as Pharrell Williams and Nigo. This would expose her to connections with the music industry, as well as numerous producers.
In 2011, Solána developed crucial connections with Top Dawg Entertainment after being recognized for her distinctive talent and would become the first female artist to be signed by the company. Under the alias SZA (standing for sovereign, zig-zag, and Allah), Solána would go on to release two studio albums, three EPs (extended plays), and sixteen singles, which would make her a prominent and extraordinary force striving in R&B and the music industry today.
SZA’s most recent studio album, “SOS,” was released on December 9th of 2022, totaling twenty-two tracks. Through the album, SZA explores and demonstrates the delicate complexities of love for oneself and others by reflecting on her past relationships. In each song, the artist expresses to the listener her anger and sorrow, as well as the struggle to move on from an exhausting relationship and accept herself and her decisions. Noteworthy tracks from the album include “Seek & Destroy,” “Open Arms (feat. Travis Scott),” “Ghost in the Machine,” and “Good Days.” Overall, the album “SOS,” connects fans and listeners through its themes of acceptance and moving on, as well as displaying the colorful and raw emotions one experiences through such times.
The song to be discussed today stands as the album’s eighth track in its sequence, and is called “Snooze.” The song’s structure consists of an intro, two verses, two choruses, a bridge, and an outro. Within the song’s chorus, the lyrics read, “I can’t lose when I’m with you…How can I snooze and miss the moment? You just too important. Nobody do body like you do” (SZA). The chorus alone expresses the essential message and idea of the song itself, which is how SZA is scared of losing her lover, as he makes her feel seen and special. Despite his questionable habits and manipulation, SZA expresses her intense loyalty and affection towards him. It’s implied throughout the song that he is dishonest and unfaithful, often threatening to leave her and break off their relationship. SZA recognizes that her attachment to him is unhealthy and prevents her from growing as an individual, but nonetheless continues to hold onto him like an addiction.
The song “Snooze” by SZA ventures and reflects on how people (such as herself) are vulnerable to feeling “addicted” to those who make them feel seen and special, notwithstanding the reality of how damaging that person really is and how these type of relationships prevent the person from growing, but instead puts them under a toxic relationship. Across the board, “Snooze” stands as a catchy and melodic song with a deep perspective into one of SZA’s toxic relationships.
Following the release of the Snooze music video, as well as her concerts (which are still ongoing), SZA officially announced the deluxe album to ‘SOS’: ‘Lana.’ The artist’s deluxe edition to her sophomore album, as announced during one of her concerts, was to be released sometime this fall, keeping SZA fans and avid music listeners on alert.