After waiting for five years, SZA has finally released a sophomore album. She has been dropping singles, teasing her fanbase. The singles were a complete mix of different music styles, highlighting how much SZA’s vocal range has improved since her album in 2017. I am so happy with how this album turned out, and I will say that there are at least two I dislike, but so many I adore. After listening, I can certainly say that it’s successful for SZA’s sophomore album.

SOS: The first track on the album started out strong and turned out to be one of my favorites. The background vocals were a great attribution to the song as it easily influenced my decision. SZA’s voice is so powerful, and the fact that this being the first track of 23 songs set the standards high.

Kill Bill: This song is absolutely amazing, it’s so catchy and once you hear the chorus, you cannot stop listening to it again. It’s an amazing song with verses that tell a story, and the angelic lyrics fit perfectly with SZA’s voice. Once she released this song, the lyrics went viral over social media and I can easily see why.

Seek & Destroy: In “Seek & Destroy” SZA talks about how she wants revenge on her ex through channeling her suffering and heartache. The song shows viewers how intense love can be and how damaging it can be simultaneously. The R&B sound is catchy and goes well with SZA’s theme on this album which mainly revolves around relationships.

Low: It was a total shock factor when I first listened to this song, it’s completely out of SZA’s original music style, but I’m glad she’s experimenting. As the title said, this song is at a very low vocal range. I’m not the biggest fan of this song, but it’s definitely not to the point where I think it’s terrible.

Love Language: Honestly, one of my favorites. The song fits SZA’s original R&B style perfectly, and so do the lyrics. The song talks about how SZA wants her and her partner to be more transparent about the current relationship, wanting to communicate and understand each other better. I am a fan of this song but it’s not my favorite.

Blind: Like SZA’s other songs, it went viral on social media. People immediately started using it in tiktoks and instagram reels. The song Blind is about the self struggles we experience when we are in a toxic relationship. It goes more in depth as to how you choose to be oblivious about the obvious problems within dating. You do not want to mess anything up because it is going so well. I love how personal and in depth the message of this song is, showing how close SZA can be with her fans.

Gone Girl: Definitely one of my favorite songs on this album, there is this specific part in the song where it is just the phrase “Gone Girl” with no background music near the end. This song revolves around the idea of intimacy and abandonment within relationships. She actually uses her own vocals to echo herself in the song, and I think that it is just so creative and admirable.

Ghosts In The Machine (Feat. Phoebe Bridgers): Out of any collaborators, SZA featuring Phoebe Bridgers on this album was a shock, but was an amazing decision. The song is repetitive, but Phoebe’s bridge was breathtaking. I like the song, but I was expecting more from Phoebe. She’s a popular artist, and I was hoping SZA would give Phoebe more lines.

F2F: I’ll be frank, this song is the worst song on the album. The lyrics are forgettable, and the way she sings it ruins the song overall. The song itself reminds me of early 2000s Disney Rock music, not fitting the album’s genre.

Nobody Gets Me: I know so many people that love this song, and I can completely see why. It’s a great song, and is way out of SZA’s usual music genre which I admire. When I hear this song, it reminds me of a Taylor Swift song in the best way possible. As always the lyrics are likable, and the tempo is slow which I prefer to SZA’s more fast paced songs.

Special: SZA is singing about her major insecurities and who she wishes she was, constantly comparing herself to others. The message reminds me of songs from SZA’s other albums but in a different music style. This song is so intimate on a personal level. So many teenagers around the world would relate to this song especially.

Shirt: A small portion of “Shirt” was released in 2019 and made viewers crazy. The famous snippet went viral over social media, and instantly became liked until it got forgotten about. Fans begged SZA to release the full version, and she finally did in October of 2022. She sings about feeling lost in a relationship that has grown complicated. She opens up about how uneasy she feels about love and wonders if the circumstances are ideal. There is something about this song that is just addicting. I am so happy that it took three years to come out because it was worth the wait. 

I Hate U: This song was released in December of 2021, and is an amazing song. It’s not sad nor happy, just SZA expressing her emotions. The song talks about a toxic relationship with a person and how it did not work out. She misses the physical touch with the person and yearns for him to come back. I like this song because it shows a strong message about how relationships do not work out but you are still attached to that person somehow.

Good Days: It was originally released in 2020 of December and is just now featured on “SOS.” The song initially starts off with the most amazing melody of just the music. The first few seconds can immediately give you a good idea of how beautiful a song “Good Days” truly is. Just when I think the harmony could not possibly be any better, SZA adds her incredible voice to it. The theme of this song is anticipating good days, hence the title.

Forgiveless (Feat. Russel Jones): Easily one of my favorite songs on this entire album, she started strong with “SOS” and ended strong with “Forgiveless.” She actually sampled the intro and the outro to be Jones, with SZA’s verse and chorus in between. SZA’s nostalgic lines made me instantly fall in love with the song, reminding me of her sophomore album.

Ultimately, I’m so grateful that SZA came out with a new album filled with new songs after 5 years. I wish the original singles she released earlier were spread out throughout the album. The songs such as Forgiveless, SOS, and Kill Bill are my favorite top three songs. The lyrics throughout this album were truly astonishing, and I like how she can easily express heartbreak, confidence, and insecurity through music.