Secrets to SZA's Rise To Stardom

One thing is certain: SZA has done things her own way from the start. She began her career recording music independently. Uploading music to SoundCloud and releasing her EPs “See SZA Run” and “S,” in the early 2010s, the artist cut her teeth as a songwriter churning out content in an almost stream-of-consciousness way, something that has followed her into many phases of her career. SZA is known to drop snippets, singles, and multiple tracks whenever she pleases, often outside of the traditional album rollouts we’ve come to expect from the music industry. Her instincts seem to work in her favor every time.

Eventually, SZA was signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, who is known for representing her frequent collaborator, Kendrick Lamar, for years. In the mid-2010s, she went on to write some huge hits for the likes of Rihanna, Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj. It was in 2017, however, when she finally gave us a full-length project of her own.

Then came “Ctrl.” A debut album from a generational talent, SZA dropped her first album in June 2017, earning immediate critical acclaim and thrusting SZA into the spotlight more than ever before. With hits like “Drew Barrymore,” “The Weekend,” “Love Galore” and more, the album not only helped solidify SZA as a dominant presence but helped usher in SZA’s sound (dense lyrics over lo-fi beats) to a mass audience.

Then came “Ctrl.” A debut album from a generational talent, SZA dropped her first album in June 2017, earning immediate critical acclaim and thrusting SZA into the spotlight more than ever before. With hits like “Drew Barrymore,” “The Weekend,” “Love Galore” and more, the album not only helped solidify SZA as a dominant presence but helped usher in SZA’s sound (dense lyrics over lo-fi beats) to a mass audience.

Simply put, “Ctrl” was everywhere that summer and still continues to be. Just last fall, the album broke a record after becoming the longest charting female album on the Billboard 200 chart with 378 weeks. SZA earned four Grammy nominations for the album back in 2018, including Best New Artist. While she walked away empty-handed that night, little did we know there was so much more on the horizon for her.

After the massive success of “Ctrl,” SZA continued her reign with some iconic collaborations, including her Oscar-nominated hit with Kendrick Lamar from the “Black Panther” soundtrack, “All The Stars.” Despite other collaborations with the likes of Maroon 5, Lorde, Cardi B and more, the singer waited five years before officially giving us her sophomore album.

During that time, she kept us fed with some singles like “Hit Different” and “Good Days,” the latter of which appeared on “SOS” two years later. She also had her hit song of the summer moment with Doja Cat on “Kiss Me More,” which would go on to earn SZA her first-ever Grammy Award, as they both took home the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

While she certainly had not disappeared, fans still clamored for an official release from the singer-songwriter. Luckily, “SOS” did eventually come, and it’s safe to say it was well worth the wait.

Dropped in December of 2022, SZA officially returned with her sophomore album, “SOS.” Like “Ctrl” before it, the album was an immediate critical success. Not only that, it also smashed commercial expectations, debuting atop the Billboard 200 Chart in its first week alone and breaking the record for the biggest streaming week for an R&B album by a woman.

With hit songs like “Kill Bill” and “Snooze,” SZA was once again on everyone’s playlists and all over radio. With “Kill Bill,” she earned her first ever solo No. 1 on the coveted Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album itself went on to spend 12 weeks at number one, becoming the first R&B/hip-hop album by a woman to make it that far since Whitney Houston in 1986.

“SOS” earned massive success for the singer-songwriter at the Grammys as well, earning her three Grammys, including Best R&B Song for “Snooze.” SZA then embarked on an international tour in support of the album from 2023 to 2024, almost taking us to today, where she continues to break records in new ways.

‘Lana’ and Kendrick

That brings us to her latest era. In the final weeks of 2024, SZA fans were in for a treat, finally getting her long-promised “SOS Deluxe” album, “Lana.” With 19 new tracks, the album earned her another number 1 album on the 200 chart and another top 10 hit on the Hot 100 with “30 for 30" featuring Kendrick Lamar.

This came just weeks after Lamar dropped his “GNX” album, which featured not one but two SZA collaborations, including “Luther,” which just topped the Hot 100, earning her her third chart-topping song. All of this made for a perfect lead-up to their Super Bowl performance together, which broke viewership records and went viral for weeks.

And on top of all of that musical success, SZA just so happened to star in her acting debut alongside Keke Palmer in “One of Them Days.” Opening in first place on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, she proved herself as a film draw as well, only adding to her current cultural domination.

Now, Kendrick and SZA are about to embark on their joint Grand National Tour, which is sure to be one of the biggest live music events of the year. Two artists at the top of their game are enjoying one of the most satisfying victory laps we’ve seen in some time. And if SZA’s career thus far has taught us anything, it’s that she’s still just getting started.