SZA - “SOS” Album Review
SZA released her new album “SOS,” and she certainly did not disappoint.
This album spans 23 songs, and falls under the pop category. Each song offers something different to the album to achieve the goal of expressing SZA’s emotions towards a personal heartbreak.
Anybody who has experienced any type of heartbreak or loss in their lives will find this album very relatable, however all listeners can enjoy the beautiful lyrics and consistent enjoyability throughout the entire compilation.
Throughout this album, the instrumental part of each song portrays a different mood. Most songs throughout the album possess a relaxed percussion section, making this album a good option for listeners in need of background music or just a casual listen.
Songs that express her sadness towards her past relationship have a melancholic tone, and the guitar is implemented on multiple tracks which creates for a more romantic feel. This allows listeners to feel her heartbreak more in-depth. Songs that express SZA’s mentality of moving on from her ex-boyfriend have a stronger percussion section, more intense vocals and on some occasions an increased tempo.
The intentional changes in instrumentals in each song to convey different emotions allows fans to be able to feel what SZA is trying to convey more deeply. As a result, listeners can relate to the album on a more personal level.
The main theme that SZA portrays throughout this album is the different parts of heartbreak that she is experiencing. All of her emotions such as sadness, anger, regret and even nostalgia are expressed in the form of different songs.
“Special” talks about how poorly SZA thinks about herself after the relationship ended. She sings, “I wish I was special, I gave all my special away to a loser, now I’m just a loser.” This line is so powerful, and it shows listeners just how crushed SZA is after the end of her relationship. Her ex-boyfriend changed the way that she thinks about herself in a negative light, and she is worse off because of it.
“Love Language” shows us SZA reminiscing on her past relationship. She sings, “Nobody put that purpose in me like you do, still…You the definition of my right hand.” This song shows the nostalgia that SZA possesses for her past relationship. Although their time together has come to an end, SZA misses her ex-boyfriend because of the fact that he knew her so well and no one she has ever met is quite like him.
This is very relatable for listeners because everyone who has ever experienced major change can attest to thinking about the good times of a past experience, relationship or even time in one’s life.
Overall, “SOS” is an astounding album for all listeners to enjoy. Fans of SZA will not be disappointed with this release, as it has 23 different songs, each offering a different aspect of loss that can be related to.
SZA exceeded the expectations of her fans as this album is very replayable, and offers a range of tones from track to track for listeners to enjoy depending on their current mood. In the future, this album is going to be hard to top. Fans will be looking for meaningful and heartfelt music like this to enjoy and relate to in their own daily lives.
Rating: 9/10
Reviewer’s Favorite Songs: “F2F,” “Kill Bill,” “Gone Girl”
Reviewer’s Least Favorite Songs: “Smoking My Ex Pack,” “Used”
Carly Dell’Oso is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email ced5690@psu.edu.
