Ladies and gentlemen, she has done it again. After a 5 year drought, szas sophomore album SOS is finally here and I must say the wait was worthwhile. As we enter into a new year, I’ve had 3 full weeks to digest this album. It’s also safe to say I’ve played it an unhealthy number of times. So here is my completely unfiltered, opinionated point-of-view for this new project. Her artistry throughout SOS was on full display with the seamless integration of intricate sounds, dynamic melodies, and a diversified sound. I was nothing short of impressed with this album and for that reason I have to give it the credit it so rightfully deserves. Album Of the Year. A long album, with a lot of details to digest. Buckle up friends, let’s talk about it.

the rundown. act i

I’ve always been a firm believer that the first song on any project is the most essential piece to a great body of work. As an artist, this is your only chance to grab the listener’s attention before it begins to veer in a multitude of directions. The popular phrase “The first impression is always the most lasting”, has failed to be anymore true than it is with SOS. SZA met and exceeded the quota once again. SOS begins with familiar instrumentation in its opening piece. Avid music listeners can immediately recognize a similar rendition of this sound from Drake’s Certified Lover Boy’s opening act. The album-titled-song produced by Jay Versace, SOS, presents us with a new side of SZA we have not witnessed before now. A rap lyricist. An exciting, yet unexpected way to draw the listener in. Which makes this album all the more interesting than I initially expected it to be.

Just when you thought the album could not be anymore unique from what a typical SZA project gives, in comes the next shocker in Kill Bill. This song is as interesting as one can expect. With a chorus that proceeds to tell us how the protagonist might kill their ex, you can’t help but to now be fully immersed into everything that this album has to offer. If your attention was not gained in the album’s opener, then she certainly has your attention now. Genius. A simple, harmonic melody with lighthearted instrumentation leaves the listener wondering, “Did she really say that out loud?” She did. The power of pain in musicianship. Unfortunately, I have to stan.

As we proceed our way through the album with amazing lyricism in Seek&Destroy, and a fun upbeat tune in Low, the listener can begin to notice a common theme or pattern throughout the first few songs. Violence. Sza makes violence seem reasonable. Whomever it was that inspired this masterpiece of an album, you brought out a beast. Real thoughts and experiences effortlessly flow, to connect the pieces together. You can begin to hear a story unravel.

I have a theory. By now you may have heard the sound of morse code being played. I want to point out the analogy between this sound and the album being titled SOS. I find it interesting because sza really dives into her tumultuous love life. She is signaling for help to be free from it all. So think about the combination of the sound of morse code, saving yourself (SOS) through heartbreak, while the protagonist sits in alone in the middle of a body of water on the album cover. This was all planned. And the theme of violence on display, is her way of saving herself. If this is the case, then its genius. And we must give SZA her flowers for this level of creativity.

This sound infrequently occurs throughout the entirety of the album into the next song Love Language. By far one of, if not, my favorites on the project. This song brings the rhythmic and blues vibes I was hoping for. But maybe the best part of this song for me, is the outro. An interpolation of Aaliyah’s “I don’t wanna be” followed up with her own “Hit Different”. What an exciting way to end a song for the R&B lovers.

Used continues to display SZAs vulnerability by asking herself “Hit a prayer, do it even work?”. Not only relatable, but her lyricism throughout this song is impeccable with an alternative sound a lot of fans can resonate with. Snooze further proves my above theory as she likens herself to Scarface, to display the love she has for someone. The beautiful contradiction of love and hate. This is one the listener can’t help but sing along to.

The next song, Notice Me brings an upbeat tempo where she is trying to come to a compromise with her love interest. Labels don’t matter in this day and age anyways. But even in her compromise, SZA knows that she deserves reciprocity or she is gone. Hence Gone Girl to express this concept. It’s like she gains a voice of reason with this track. I love the brief pause towards the end of this track and as it proceeds again, SZA is singing with live instrumentation. A subtle, but appealing touch that was noteworthy.

My favorite track on this album is without a doubt, Ghost in the Machine. This is the best song on the album and I will stand on this hill. Nevermind the flawless vocals, or amazing drums at the end of the track. This song is probably one of the most lyrically impressive songs. Ever. (That may be a slight dramatization, but who cares lol.) The second verse literally gave me chills. SZA compares herself to an AI robot because of how the entertainment industry can make one feel. “You forget how to love somebody”, she conveys with great artistry. Because of those feelings, could this be the reason for her lack of a successful love? Is the music industry also weighing in on her? This song sounds phenomenal but the words are so real. I listened to it three times in a row before I could move on to the next song on my first listen. This one was truly the eye opener for me. I suggest that you give this track a few spins to feel the magic in the words. Also, the end of this song marks a turn in a different direction in terms of sound for the rest of the album. I would consider it end of the first act.

the rundown. act ii

Act II begins with “F2F” and is by far the least expected genre to be featured on this album. A drastic turn of events from the rest of the album. For some reason, this song takes me back to 2006 with electric guitars and rebel teenagers. The nostalgia alone drew me in. The chorus definitely made me laugh because although this continues her spiteful and violent theme, in a way it also feels lighthearted. But I don’t want to discredit the pain of the artist. The outro of this track again drew me in. SZA’s undying need of finding something real is again, on full display. Especially consistent with the next track, Nobody Gets Me. This track pushes the borderlines of Alternative and rock to deliver a powerful sound. The passion is is raw, the lyrics again came to slay, and the vocals were the most surprising to me. She sounded great. Which easily makes this track top five on the album.

I want to briefly discuss Far because this is another favorite track of mine. I love how empowering the lyrics are. We can all relate to feeling down and this track is the breaking point of that feeling. When we finally reach the breaking point, it can feel so freeing. It can be hard to finally see your true worth sometimes because of the circumstances we go through. Here, sza realizes that she’s had enough. She wants to be so removed away, or far, from what used to be and I think we can all take something from that. I also want to point out the differing melodies throughout this song. It’s beautiful. Top tier.

The thing I appreciate the most about SOS is the fact that no two songs sound even remotely the same. Each song is unique in their own way. Open Arms expresses this beautifully. I wanted to dedicate an entire paragraph to this masterpiece of a track. This song is so good, so raw, so vulnerable. It is good from beginning to end. The Travis Scott feature was literally, a chef’s kiss. Lyrically, this song is flawless. I’m nothing short of impressed by her musicianship. Her vocals have improved tremendously from her first project. She continues to show why she has one of the best pen game’s in all of R&B.

the final verdict.

Everyone likes to point out how a number of sophomore albums easily flop for whatever reason. This was not the case for sza. This might be her best piece of work to date. This album was captivating, breathtaking, vulnerable, and relatable. And it sounds great. Very few artists can do this, but she did it. With ease. I think the most interesting thing about this album, is that she said things that shouldn’t be said out loud. Or at least things that will make you so heavily criticized for saying. So I found SOS to be extremely empowering for women. At least for me it was. I love queen Bey, but this will take the cake as the best album of 2022. One of the best of this decade. Argue with your mama.

See you next week.

-Bri ✌️