Being dubbed as the ‘first lady of TDE’, a label filled with hip-hop greats Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and more, SZA has some big names to live up to. The album voices many aspects of modern day young love: side-chick anthems, admission of cheating, calling out to a lost love, and constantly, metaphorically, and literally asking the question “Do you even know I’m alive?”
Supermodel
Setting the tone of why she acts the way she does in relationships, as well as, the mindset she goes through when her man isn’t giving her the attention she rightfully deserves. “I could be your supermodel,” is SZA’s way of saying “I could be whatever you desire me to be, as long as you’re with me.” The first track of few to include a voice of SZA’s mother and/or grandmother. A perfect way to start this masterpiece of an album:
“That is my greatest fear
That if, if I lost control
Or did not have control, things would just, you know
I would be… fatal”
Most memorable lines: “I’ve been secretly banging your homeboy”, “You know I need too much attention”, and “Why I can’t stay alone just by myself? Wish I was comfortable just with myself”
Love Galore (feat. Travis Scott)
I am completely biased to this song because I love Travis Scott and his adlibs. This song was destined to be a hit, and was appropriately one of two lead singles for ‘Crtl.’ If the first track was the soft and vulnerable side of SZA, ‘Love Galore’ is definitely the confident and reflective. Though SZA begs the question, “Why you bother me when you know you don’t want me?” Travis plays not punk and answers “Last time I checked, you were the one that left me in a wreck.” Nonetheless, both parties speak of an affair that involves sex, and solely sex. Reassuring and confirming her sincere remarks, as well as her self-assured nature, her grandmother says:
“But see Solana, if you don’t say something,
…they think you stupid[.]”
Most memorable lines: “Promise I won’t cry over spilled milk,” “Why you bother me when you know you don’t want me?” “Acting like we wasn’t more than a summer fling,” and “A** and T******, Only thing that was real/ Only thing I could feel, you feel me?”
Doves in the Wind (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
Starting off a song with the line, “Real n***** do not deserve p****,” Ms. SZA can expect a lot of attention and questions. The next line does, however, clear up what she’s implying, “Meaning it’s more, you see through walls.” A line that SZA explains in interviews means that those who truly deserve her deserve more than just sex, rather a foundation to be built on. Her first movie reference of the album is made on this track; Forest Gump to be more specific. SZA clarifies that Forest didn’t chase Jenny for sex and Jenny actually cherishes his tenderness.
Most memorable lines: “Real n***** do not deserve p****,” “You deserve the whole box of chocolates,” and “Like doves in the wind.”
Drew Barrymore
I’m not going to lie, I avoided this song until the entire album was actually released. I know I know, not my smartest choice. I did preview a bit of it on Apple Music when it came up on Apple’s ‘A-List: Hip-Hop’ playlist. Now that I’ve heard it multiple times, due to having this album on repeat since it was released, ‘Drew Barrymore’ has not grown on me. I get that people really enjoy the lyrics, but it is not my favorite song on the album. The track relates to the idea of Drew Barrymore, the actress, being the image of finding one’s identity and insecurity through her early filmography (SZA specifies the movie “Never Been Kissed”).
Most memorable lines: “Is it warm enough for ya inside me,” and “Do you really love me”
Prom
Every album has filler songs. There is a very small list of albums that I can play entirely without skipping a song (Mary J. Blige’s ‘Growing Pains’ is and will always be my favorite album of all time), this is one of the two I have for this album. I by no means dislike this song, I could just do without it. It is nice to play in the background when I read. ‘Prom’ is a great piece to get the mind ready for the next song (if you listen to songs in order like me).
Most memorable line: “Please don’t take it personal/Like I know you usually do”
The Weekend (My favorite!)
I love this song so much. I know it’s all about being a side piece or not being committed, but this song is the most relatable for me (pass judgment I really don’t care). What is so great about this song is that it destroys the ‘side chick’ and ‘main chick’ hierarchy with the lines: “My man is my man is your man/Heard it’s her man too.” SZA’s basically saying, “neither of us have ownership of him, rather just a position in his time slot and Friday through Sunday is my current availability.” She even goes on to tell her guy that if he wants she can make an exception on Mondays, “Ready to take her place.” Not only are the lyrics relentless and unapologetic, the beat is gorgeous. Every layer of the instrumental was made for this specific song and feeling. (This song actually samples Justin Timberlake’s ‘Set the Mood Prelude/Until the End of Time’!)
Most memorable line: “Why you want me when you got a girl/ The feeling is reckless,” “I don’t care long as you’re here by 10:30,” “You’re like 9-5/ I’m the weekend,” and “My man is my man is your man/Heard it’s her man too.”
Go Gina
I am going to be completely honest (not that I’ve been lying previously) I just heard this song when I started this review. When I downloaded this song to my library on Apple Music I guess ‘Go Gina’ wasn’t meant for me to listen to in that moment. I like my listens to be thorough, so I will come back to this song in another article.
Garden (Say It Like Dat)
This is a dope song. My second favorite on the album if I’m being honest. With lines like “Can you remind me of my gravity,” and “Hope you never find out who I really am/ Cause you’ll never love me.” Like SZA, my confident side is quite unapologetic (hence my love for The Weekend), but I enjoy the exposed nature of ‘Garden.’ SZA’s cries out mid-track “I need your support,” a line that felt so personal I wanted to call Solana up myself and ask her if she’s alright. I did find that my friends who openly deal with body image issue gravitated towards this song and with verses “Lie to me and say my booty getting’ bigger even if it ain’t/Love me if it rain,” I completely understand why.
Most memorable lines: “You’ll never love me, you’ll never love me,” “Open your heart up/Hoping I’ll never find out that you’re anyone else,” “You must really love me,” and “I need your support.”
Broken Clocks
Another rightful single. I say ‘rightful’ a lot, because sometimes record companies miss great hits, in order to push an image. This is part of my trilogy of favorites; The perfect mix of ‘The Weekend’s’ reflective elements and ‘Garden’s’ sensitivity. It took me a while to figure out why the song is actually called ‘Broken Clocks,’ but I’d like to think it references her talking about the useless effort she put into a “Still love.” She chooses to work at it because even though the love is non-moving, ‘it’s still love.’ SZA says she’s ‘burning daylight,’ working so hard at her job and in her love life and she reaching a breaking point.
Most memorable lines: “Never going back,” “I’ve had a thing for dirty shoes since I was 10/Love dirty men alike,” “I ain’t got no time/Just burning daylight,” “Been about three years since I dated you/Why you still talkin ‘bout me like we together,” and “It’s still love but it’s still love.”
Anything
This song is so pretty to me. Though it makes me sad to hear, it was about time that she vocalizes what she’s been hinting at asking the entire album: “Do you even know I’m alive?” SZA even begins to blame herself for the situation she has been put in “Maybe I should pray a little harder/Or work a little smarter.” This should be the track that explains the album and the actions she discusses throughout. Many may ask, “Why would she stay with him?” I answer by saying, “She loves him and is willing to be ‘down for the ride.’”
Most memorable line: “Do you even know I’m alive?”
Wavy (Interlude) [feat. James Fauntleroy]
Another featured artist I’m biased towards and always in favor of. ‘Wavy’ is a nice break from the continual topic of heartbreak and insecurity. Nevertheless, this 1:19 does go by quick and if you don’t pay attention close enough, you just might miss it.
Most memorable lines: “I think I’m bad as hell/I got issues,” and “Just give as much as you take/Forgive as much as you hate.”
Normal Girl
A reoccurring theme within this amazing body of work, is SZA’s yearning to be whatever her man needs her to be. That even includes not being able to be fully involved with him. I’ve talked multiple times about the contrasting elements of ‘Crtl’ and this song is no different. Placed towards the end of the album, one almost forgets SZA wanted to be a ‘Supermodel’ for her guy and now she wishes to be a ‘Normal Girl’. Though possibly giving off a wishy-washy vibe, SZA just wants love.
Most memorable lines: “I wish I was a normal girl,” “For the way I pump my fist or how I bust my hip/For your affection, tryna be down,” “Type of girl you take home to your mama/Type of girl, I know my daddy, he’d be proud,” and “Before you figured out, that I was just a normal girl.”
Pretty Little Birds (feat. Isaiah Rashad)
Isaiah Rashad is an artist that many people have been talking about, but I’ve yet to really get into his music. Hopefully, after hearing this song, I can find myself learning more about his artistry and indulging into his discography. ‘Pretty Little Birds’ is another self-reflective song that SZA uses to talk to herself in the third person ‘You’ve hit the window a few times’ and ‘You still ain’t scared of no heights.’ For once she speaks of her lover submitting to her, “Told you I like gentle giants so you softened up/ And you been jack’n, bean’n, stalk’n just to get to me love.”
Most memorable lines: “You were but a phoenix among feathers,” “When the spiral down feels as good as the flight/When hating you feels good for the night,” and “I wanna be your golden goose.”
20 Something
SZA’s last song off of ‘Ctrl’ ties the album together beautifully. She’s basically telling listeners, “I’m still young and I have all the time in the world to figure life out.” Another song that speaks for itself.
Most memorable lines: “Honesty hurts when you’re gettin’ older,” “Ain’t got nothin’, runnin’ from love/Only know fear,” “God bless these 20 somethings,” and “Prayin the 20 somethings don’t kill me.’
I enjoy Ctrl so much because it makes me feel like I’m not alone. I know it sounds corny, but I think that’s important when you’re in the 18-25-year-old age range. At this stage in my life, so many people my age are trying to find themselves, and it can be especially hard in a world where young celebrities are dominating big industries (music, movies, tv shows, etc.). SZA reminds us that there are more of us who don’t have it figured out than we think and that is completely OK.
‘Ctrl’ by SZA is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and ITunes.
