Photo courtesy of Top Dog Entertainment/RCA Records
On SZA’s second studio album titled ‘SOS’, one can’t help but feel reminiscent of 90’s R&B in its hay day. Why wouldn’t you? After all, The follow-up album to her debut release ‘Ctrl’ has production from famed music producers Babyface on ‘Snooze’ as well as Rodney ‘Darkchild’ Jerkins on her lead single ‘Shirt’ as well as ‘Forgiveless’ which features the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Another talented and familiar producer Carter Lang appears once again on 13 of the 23-track album. The TDE songstress grabs Phoebe Bridgers on the alternative pop, soft tone, brutally honest track ‘Ghost in the Machine’ where she kindly requests a partner to touch on her and not call her after and distract her disasters. She just wants humanity. The variations of her sound and growth are evident as she opens the Jay Versace-produced track ‘Smoking on my Ex Pack’ with a 90’s Hip Hop cypher flow that leaves you wondering if she needs to hop on her ex-label partner’s famed ‘Backseat Freestyle’.
‘SOS‘ is what you receive when an artist has the freedom and space to live life and all its experiences. It’s the body of work that is amassed when an artist of SZA’s caliber silently, surgically perfects their craft rather than be pressured by society to simply ‘feed the algorithm’. She digs deep down and is completely vulnerable with her fans. Understand, not every artist can reach those corners while captivating and serenading you simultaneously. It’s a classic project, arguably the album of the year.
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