SZA Releases Her Soul-Infused Debut Album 'CTRL' | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

SZA Releases Her Soul-Infused Debut Album 'CTRL'

SZA's debut album says all the words you never could.

28
SZA Releases Her Soul-Infused Debut Album 'CTRL'
Top Dawg / RCA

Anybody who hasn't yet heard of SZA, will soon enough. Born Solana Rowe in New Jersey, many may or may not know SZA as a carefree black girl with hair almost as big as her future. She, however, describes herself as the girl next door, and her lyrics agree with herself. If her music could be described as an inanimate object, I would call it the diary of every 20-something-year-old woman searching for love in a world that sometimes feels devoid of it. Her music speaks the words that all of us young women have ever been too uncomfortable or too scared or too timid to say out loud.

Her two mixtapes were breathtakingly personal, filled with airy beats and lyrics that punch you in the gut and make you wonder if she reached into your mind to write them. Her EP "Z" was personal as well, but the production turned some long time fans off, many finding her to be trying too hard to be different. But finally, on Friday her debut album "CTRL" was released, and she seems to have found a perfect medium between being different and being herself, all the while keeping the intimacy and rawness that makes her, her. Chock-full of snippets from conversations between her and her mother/grandmother, this might be SZA's most personal work yet. She pulls no stops and her tongue is not held. And it was beautiful.

The album opens with "Supermodel," a very intimate and very personal ode to an ex who left her on Valentine's Day. For those who are first listening to SZA, this is a perfect example of how personal she gets, while still relating to almost every young girl who has gone through a break up. With lines like "you know I need too much attention," and "wish I was comfortable just with myself," she opens the album with a perfect display of her insecurities and already paints herself as the girl next door, maybe the girl that you occasionally smile at in the laundry room. She's not a celebrity singing about her super exclusive and untouchable celebrity relationship, and maybe that's what draws people to the album.

She then leads us into the second song on the album, a Travis Scott assisted track titled "Love Galore." Highly anticipated, this was the second single off the album, where SZA sings about wanting an ex-lover or friend. She opens the song with airy melodies on love, and then finally opens with the surprising line that we've all heard or said at least once: "Done with these niggas." After "Love Galore" comes "Doves In The Wind," in which her label-mate Kendrick Lamar assists her in singing about how far people go for sex when some people have so much more to offer. Then comes her lead single, "Drew Barrymore," in which a way less confident part of SZA pours over her insecurities about being good enough. She sings the thoughts we've all had, apologizes for not being attractive enough, and realizes that when she's lonely she forgets her worth. Next is the fifth track on her album, "Prom," an upbeat song about growing up and broken promises, a song that we all might have needed at 17.

Track 6 has perhaps been the most controversial in the days following the albums release, but coincidentally has also been the most acclaimed. Titled "The Weekend," it's a song with a production reminiscent of '90s r&b, slow and sultry. Her soft vocals glide on the track so smoothly that for a second you don't realize the subject matter of the song. But if you listen closely, you realize "The Weekend" is not-so-secretly a song about sleeping with another girl's man, but only 'on the weekend.' In a world where rappers constantly talk about taking their friends' girls, SZA flips the script and takes CTRL (pun intended) by reversing the roles. Though homewrecking is terrible, SZA sure does make it sound real damn beautiful.

She then returns to being relatable with a song titled "Go Gina," obviously titled after the beloved sitcom, "Martin." She talks about what words mean for her and belonging to nobody. On "Garden (Say It Like Dat)," she sings to a boy who will never love her, but tells her he does, and she doesn't mind. On "Broken Clocks," she talks about working and all the time she doesn't have, a concept that almost everyone can relate to. With "Anything," which includes a Donna Summer sample, she questions her livelihood. She then hits us with a James Fauntleroy assisted interlude titled "Wavy," a beautiful song that doesn't really seem to have much of a meaning but is beautiful nonetheless. Getting close to the conclusion of the album, in "Normal Girl" she sings about never being normal enough, and not even knowing what being a normal girl consists of. In "Pretty Little Birds," she describes a pretty little bird, eager to fly with her fellow label-mate Isaiah Rashad.

SZA ends the album with "20 Something," perhaps the most relatable song on the album. A guitar-assisted personal ode to being, well, 20 something, she sings about an unexpectedly failed relationship, losing her friends, and being independent while at the same time not being independent. The line that hits the hardest? "Praying the 20 somethings don't kill me." Somehow she closes the album with a song that captures a part of life that everyone goes through, being lost, confused, and scared.

In its totality, SZA's "CTRL" shows that she has found herself as an artist, despite how lost she may be as a person. SZA bares her soul to us through this album, showing her loss of control and her many attempts to take it back. She doesn't try to be perfect, she doesn't try to be fake; she's real and it's beautiful.

If you didn't know who SZA was before "CTRL," you certainly will after listening to her album. But there's one thing she didn't tell you, and maybe because she doesn't yet know it herself:

She's here to stay.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

A Few Thoughts Every College Freshman Has

The transition into adulthood is never easy

15087
Mays Island
Courtney Jones

Today I started my third week of college at Minnesota State Moorhead. I have survived welcome week, finding my classes on the first day, and being an awkward loner in the dining hall. Even though I have yet to be here for a month, I have already experienced many thoughts and problems that only a new college student can relate to.

Keep Reading...Show less
Students walking on a sunny college campus with trees and buildings.

"Make sure to get involved when you're in college!"

We've all heard some variation of this phrase, whether it came from parents, other family members, friends, RAs, or college-related articles. And, like many clichés, it's true for the most part. Getting involved during your college years can help you make friends, build your resume, and feel connected to your campus. However, these commitments can get stressful if you're dealing with personal issues, need to work, or aren't sure how to balance classes and everything else going on during the semester.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

9 Reasons Why Friends Are Essential In College

College without friends is like peanut butter without jelly.

6547
Bridgaline Liberati and friends
Bridgaline Liberati

In college, one of the essential things to have is friends. Yes, textbooks, a laptop, and other school supplies are important but friends are essential. Friends are that support system everybody needs. The more friends you have the better the support system you have. But you also have someone to share experiences with. And don’t settle for just one or two friends because 8 out of 10 times they are busy and you are studying all alone. Or they have other friend groups that do not include you. Don’t settle for just one or two friends; make as many friends as you can. After the first couple of weeks of college, most friend groups are set and you may be without friends.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Power of Dressing Up

Why it pays to leave the hoodie at home.

4842
sneakers and heels
Sister | Brother Style - Word Press

For a moment your world is spinning. The phone alarm has just scared you awake and you’re flooded by daunting thoughts of the day ahead. You have three assignments due and little time to work on them because of your job. You’re running late because you’ve hit snooze one to many times after yesterday’s long hours. You dizzily reach for a hoodie, craving its comfort, and rush for a speedy exit, praying you will have time to pick up coffee. Does this sound familiar?

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

11 Signs You Live At The Library As Told by 'Parks And Recreation'

A few signs that you may live in the library whether you'd like to admit it or not.

4260
brown wooden book shelves with books

Finals week is upon us. It is a magical time of year during which college students everywhere flock to the library in attempt to learn a semester's worth of knowledge in only a week. For some students, it's their first time in the library all semester, maybe ever. Others have slaved away many nights under the fluorescent lights, and are slightly annoyed to find their study space being invaded by amateurs. While these newbies wander aimlessly around the first floor, hopelessly trying to find a table, the OGs of the library are already on the third floor long tables deep into their studies. Here is a few signs that you may live in the library, whether you'd like to admit it or not.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments