In April 2013, SZA released her S EP to good critical reviewsβ in July of that same year, it was announced she was signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and began working on her Z EP, which would eventually become a full-fledged album. Z was released in April 2014.
Her debut album, CTRL was released on June 9, 2017 through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records. The album features guest appearances from Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, James Fauntleroy, and Isaiah Rashad. Upon release, CTRL was a massive critical and commercial success, and catapulted SZA into fame. The record debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200. The album then received acclaim from music critics, many praised its cohesiveness and production, as well as SZA's vocal delivery. In 2018, CTRL received 4 Grammy nominations. She was then nominated Best New Artist. The album was ranked at 472 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, her first to do so.
After a 5 year hiatus from music, SZA released her second studio album, SOS on December 9, 2022 through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records.The album features guest appearances from Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers, Travis Scott, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. Six singles were released between 2020 and 2023 to promote SOS, five were top-ten hits on the US Billboard Hot 100. The fifth, "Kill Bill", was SZA's first song to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, SZA's first to do so, and also broke the record for the largest streaming week for an R&B album in the US alone. Several media publications ranked it as one of the best albums of 2022 and 2023. In 2023, it was ranked number 351 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, joining her debut album CTRL on the list.
To continue to promote the album, SZA had embarked on a North American, European, and Australian arena tour, the SOS Tour, from February 2023 to April 2024.
At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, the album and its tracks received a total of nine nominations, including Album of the Year, and won Best Progressive R&B Album. The record was a total commercial success.
SOS Deluxe: LANA is SZAβs re-issue of her sophomore album SOS (2022). The album was released on December 20th, 2024 through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records. LANA was delayed due to final changes to the album's mixing. βSaturnβ was released as the album's lead single on February 22, 2024, and was teased and performed at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. SZA said herself that this deluxe album became a whole other album. The album has 15 songs and includes leaked songs from SOS. The deluxe was hinted at on December 10, 2023, through various photos posted on her Instagram captioned βLANAβ.
AFTERMATH
SZA Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am not human
I am made of bacon, fairy tales, pixie dust, I don't feel
I hung myself and didn't die
I'm omnipotent, I'm alive
Not real, I'm alive
You leave me careless, I like itI like it
Caught up in the blast
Caught up in the action
Caught up in the bursting flame
There's comfort in dying
There's comfort in burning I burn
Maybe we should burn
Maybe we should burn
Maybe we should burn
Maybe we should burn, burn
Doubt I'll ever be anyone's baby
Living as a unicorn gets so lonely
I have no answers
I have No questions
Stuck in your tandem
Heat that's worth standing
I like it
Caught up in the blast
Caught up in the action
Caught up in the bursting flame
There's comfort in dying
There's comfort in burning I burn
Maybe we should burn
Maybe we should burn
Maybe we should burn
Maybe we should burn, burn
I can feel the accidents happening slowly
Falling for the rapture ever so boldly
I will go willingly
You don't have to kidnap
I'd like to be kidnapped
You leave me careless, I like it
I like it
Maybe we should burn
Maybe we should burn
Maybe we should burn
Maybe we should burn, burn
Doubt I'll ever be anyone's baby
The lyrics of SZA's song "Aftermath" are emotional and thought-provoking. The first few lines portray the singer's regret for not revealing their true identity earlier. They claim that they are not human and that they are made up of fairy tales and pixie dust, indicating that they are not like others and do not feel the way humans do. The next line, "I hung myself and didnβt die," is a metaphorical reference to the singer's resilience and their ability to survive despite their struggles. They go on to assert that they are omnipotent, which means that they have infinite power and control, and that they are alive but not real.
The chorus of the song talks about the singer's desire to be caught up in the blast, the action, and the bursting flame. They seek comfort in dying and burning, which is an unconventional way of expressing one's desire for change and transformation. The repetition of "Maybe we should burn" signifies the singer's willingness to take risks and embrace the unknown. However, they doubt that they will ever be anyone's baby or find someone to connect with as living as a unicorn, which represents their uniqueness, gets lonely.
The final lines of the song talk about the singer's resignation to their fate. They acknowledge that accidents happen slowly, and they are falling for the rapture ever so boldly. They are neither afraid nor opposed to being kidnapped; rather, they would like it. The repetition of "Maybe we should burn" in the final chorus indicates that the singer has made peace with their desire for change and transformation and is ready to embrace it.
Line by Line Meaning
I apologize for waiting to tell you for so long
I am sorry for not telling you sooner
I am not human
I am not a human being
I am made of bacon, fairy tales, pixie dust, I don't feel
I am comprised of arbitrary things and I am unable to experience emotions
I hung myself and didn't die
I tried to kill myself, but failed
I'm omnipotent, I'm alive
I am all-powerful and still alive
Not real, I'm alive
I am not real, but I am alive
You leave me careless, I like it
Your carelessness towards me makes me happy
Caught up in the blast
Engulfed by the explosion
Caught up in the action
Involved in the events
Caught up in the bursting flame
Trapped in the fire
There's comfort in dying
Death brings comfort
There's comfort in burning I burn
Setting myself on fire is comforting
Maybe we should burn
Perhaps we should ignite ourselves
Doubt I'll ever be anyone's baby
I doubt anyone will love me like a child
Living as a unicorn gets so lonely
Existing as a mythical creature is isolating
I have no answers
I have no solutions
I have No questions
I don't have any inquiries
Stuck in your tandem
Trapped in your synchronized movement
Heat that's worth standing
Intense feelings that are worth tolerating
I can feel the accidents happening slowly
I am aware of misfortunes happening gradually
Falling for the rapture ever so boldly
Consciously succumbing to a state of bliss
I will go willingly
I will comply voluntarily
You don't have to kidnap
You don't need to abduct me
I'd like to be kidnapped
I would enjoy being taken by force
Maybe we should burn, burn
Perhaps we should ignite ourselves repeatedly
Contributed by Lincoln B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@rahimjajinn
This era of Sza >
@stanleynife3608
WAS THE BEST π₯ππ₯
@GRLSGame2
sza captured the struggles of growing up with mental health battles in such a creative vulnerable way. thankful for her journey
@73davil
β€οΈ
@princessaxel
in a parallel universe, in any universe. she is an artist. always has been. a good one in all of them. i always imagine her not mainstream tho⦠i fantasize it. only because here on this timeline, being mainstream restricts u. she needed to express, and she DID THAT.i just miss her old writing. so raw, so emotional, so vulnerable. and the production ;( makes me cry how good it was and still is. ily sza
@Diimondc
Could not agree more. I really do miss her old writing, something very special about it
@Myxxooo
fr
@TheMilanBlanc
she makes me float on many levels
@SirTalkAlotJr
Omg she really just does
@danielromero6687
I AM FLYING TO THIS TUNE.SZA IS TOP DAWG ENTERTAINMENT,I LOVE HER...