A distinct force in contemporary R&B, SZA has set herself apart with a vulnerable and casually poetic songwriting style and a voice conveying a multitude of emotions with subtle twists and turns. She established herself with a trio of spaced-out EPs and collaborations with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, and Rihanna, and continued her ascent with Ctrl (2017), a Top Ten album that resulted in five Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist. These accolades proved to be no fluke, as SZA earned almost as many Grammy nominations the next year by assisting Kendrick Lamar with ‘All the Stars,’ a Top Ten hit, only one in a slew of platinum singles she has scored as a headliner or featured artist. Her rich and complex second album, SOS (2022), went straight to number one on the Billboard 200, produced four Top Ten pop singles — including the chart-topping revenge fantasy ‘Kill Bill’ — and earned the artist three Grammy awards.
Solána Imani Rowe was born in St. Louis and raised in New Jersey, where she excelled in high school gymnastics and cheerleading. After leaving college, Rowe shuffled around different jobs and recorded on the side, influenced by the diverse and maverick likes of Billie Holiday and Björk, as well as Wu-Tang Clan, whose RZA inspired her performing name. She self-released a pair of dreamy and alluring EPs, 2012’s See.SZA.Run and 2013’s S, and shortly thereafter signed with Top Dawg Entertainment. SZA had been on TDE’s radar since 2011, when label co-founder Terrence ‘Punch’ Henderson was handed material at the CMJ Music Marathon.
Once their agreement was in place, Top Dawg and SZA didn’t waste any time. In April 2014, SZA made her label debut with Z, a trippy third EP that entered the Billboard 200 at number 39 with featured appearances from fellow TDE artists Kendrick Lamar and Isaiah Rashad, as well as one from Chance the Rapper. By the end of 2016, SZA was a highly valued collaborator herself. She appeared on high-profile TDE releases from Lamar, Rashad, ScHoolboy Q, and Jay Rock, co-wrote Nicki Minaj’s ‘Feeling Myself’ and Travis Scott’s ‘OK Alright,’ and co-wrote and appeared on Rihanna’s ‘Consideration.’