Rating: 9/10

After releasing Ctrl in 2017, the release of SZA’s sophomore studio album, SOS, was highly anticipated. Let’s just say it was worth the wait!

Starting off strong with the album cover, SZA pays homage to Princess Diana by recreating a photo of her sitting on a diving board over the ocean, looking up to the sky. Not only does SZA illustrate this sense of isolation on the cover, she implements this feeling throughout SOS. 

Certain tracks on SOS illustrate SZA wrestling with loss of a romantic partnership, alluding to her journey navigating freedom from unhealthy relationships and struggling without someone to depend on. For example, in ‘Kill Bill,’ she sings that she would, “Rather be in jail than alone”, or in ‘Snooze’, where she says, “You just too important/Nobody do body like you”, conveying her loneliness and longing for her ex.

However, SOS also displays SZA’S new found confidence as well. She renounces prior relationships in songs such as ‘Conceited’, with lines like, “I got everything and I’m livin’ for revenge.” 

The most notable thing about this album was its featured artists. From Don Toliver and Phoebe Bridgers, to Travis Scott and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, the variety in SZA’s collaborations demonstrate her versatility as an artist, and prove her talent as these songs adhere to the general theme of the album. 

With the range of meanings behind the songs, it demonstrates how love can be all over the place. While SZA maintains a theme of heartbreak and growth, SOS avoids sounding repetitive while remaining cohesive. All in all, this album is definitely worth listening to! SZA does not let herself be confined to one genre, but uses her own experiences to explore and develop new sounds, making SOS a unique album that is quite enjoyable to listen to. •