Iconic in the music industry, especially after an incredible halftime show performance with Kendrick Lamar, SZA has given listeners so much to love and so many eras of music to appreciate. After her deluxe album, SOS Deluxe: Lana, released on December 20, there have been a few takeaways that can leave the audience questioning what SZA’s songs are really about. In her new collection of songs, SZA’s lyrics are constantly riddled with deeper meanings. In her song “Kitchen” phrases like, “you make it hard for me to choose me,” and “makes me forget, I forgive him,” are repeated throughout the chorus.
Even though SZA has moments where she showcases a potentially concerning level of self-pity, she is still able to contradict these lines with confidence throughout her music. Callie Hoffman, a long time SZA fan, explains how SZA has helped her through a lot of heartbreak and stress. “SZA is someone so many look up to and if she can feel this way, I know I’ll be fine.” Callie says. Callie explains why her favorite SZA song is easily “Good Days”, a song on her first album where she showcases a high level of optimism, and expresses her excitement for the future. This song is very meaningful for Callie because it gave her the hope and strength to know that good things are coming.
However, listeners like Charlotte think that songs like these don’t matter when so much of SZA’s recent music has a completely opposite message. “I have been insecure in past relationships as most women have at one point in their lives, but SZA’s lyrics just make it seem so normal and cute to be insecure and to put their boyfriends on this pedestal and make them seem like so much more than they really are,” Charlotte admits.
While keeping in mind these deeper meanings at play, the songs in general are still catchy. For me, “Another Life” has been on repeat since the moment I first heard it. With a chorus centered around the phrase “in another life maybe we could ride out boy,” this song is for the wishful thinkers, the yearners and the hopeless romantics who still romanticize their old situationships that were doomed from the start. To say “in another life we could’ve worked out,” is the same as saying “we were never meant to be but I wish we were.” I personally and proudly romanticize everything, specifically the mundane: A sweet iced drink, rainy days, a quiet morning, and going to Target. The one thing I try hard not to romanticize (and sometimes fail at) are the “what ifs” of life or being heartbroken and confused. It’s one thing to romanticize the small moments in life that bring us joy, but to romanticize sadness or pain might not be as empowering. Besides, if you really love someone, wouldn’t you want to love them in every lifetime? It might be hard to settle for just “another life”. If you really love someone, you should feel confident in yourself that it can work out in the present, instead of settling for an alternative.
I myself am obsessed with this song, but its message is frustrating because we know that to want someone in another life means we know we cannot have them now. I think this is where it’s important to be extra mindful of SZA’s messages… After we listen to our music we must ask ourselves what the song is asking of us. Is SZA asking us to romanticize abusive relationships and people who don’t treat us well? Or is she inviting us to mourn and move on?Whether you love her or loathe her, hopefully people are able to see the two different stories and styles that come out of this deluxe album. SZA’s voice is timeless, her runs are gorgeous and her influence on the music industry is undeniable. Clearly the messages in her songs are up for interpretation especially among her young female fans, struggling with self acceptance, self discovery and self confidence.
Autumn Valdes is a Journalism and Religious Studies major at Ithaca College. She can be reached at [email protected].