In April 2013, SZA released her S EP to good critical reviews— 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 SZA’s 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. “Saturn” 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 ‘LANA’.
THE ODYSSEY
SZA Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't want to waste time and make it
Faster. Stronger. Deeper.
Pulled out with the passion rolled out
Pulled out on the red carpet
Rolled out the chariot
Frier
Dancing. By the fire
I'm leaving. Tonight.
I'm leaving tonight I'm
Leaving tonight tonight
Yeah
Haven't we been here before.
Haven't you heard the name of the stories
It isn't over yet
Keep on
moving
Carry on, carry on
We'll make it to the end of
The Odyssey
The lyrics of sZa's song The Odyssey are a tale of departure and travel, both physical and emotional. The singer of the song speaks of his desire to leave quickly, with urgency even, wanting to waste no time, and to make his passage faster, stronger, deeper. He speaks of leaving behind the passion, rolling out like a red carpet or a chariot. The imagery conjures up images of a grand departure, with fanfare and great anticipation. The singer is excited, dancing and singing by the fire, thrilled to be leaving tonight, whatever that may mean. The song takes on an almost mythic quality as the singer references stories and names that the listener may or may not be familiar with. But the message is clear -- this journey is not over yet, and we must keep moving and carrying on until we reach the end of this Odyssey.
Line by Line Meaning
Just got to make this quick
I only have a short amount of time to convey my message
I don't want to waste time and make it
I want to be efficient and to the point
Faster. Stronger. Deeper.
I want to make a greater impact with my actions and emotions
Pulled out with the passion rolled out
I am leaving with intense feeling and enthusiasm
Pulled out on the red carpet
I am leaving in a public and symbolic way
Rolled out the chariot
I am departing in a dramatic and grandiose manner
Frier
Pronunciation of 'fire', representing passion and intensity
Dancing. By the fire
I am celebrating and expressing my emotions in a free and unrestrained way
Singing
Expressing my emotions through vocalization and melody
I'm leaving. Tonight.
I am departing immediately, with determination and purpose
I'm leaving tonight I'm
Reiterating my intentions to depart soon
Leaving tonight tonight
Repeating that I will depart tonight
Haven't we been here before.
Reflecting on past experiences and questioning if they will repeat
Haven't you heard the name of the stories
Referencing mythology and implying that this is a recurring theme
It isn't over yet
The journey is ongoing and there is still more to come
Keep on
Encouraging perseverance and resilience in the face of challenges
Contributed by Skyler O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@veronikawabu
Can anyone live with Eartha Kitt?
That's not for me to decide
That's for someone who decides to live with me to decide
Not for me
But are you willing to compromise within a relationship?
To compromise? What is compromising?
Compromising for what? Compromising for what reason?
To compromise? For what? To compromise? What is compromise?
If a man came into your life, wouldn't you want to compromise?
Stupid
A man comes into my life and I have to compromise?
You must think about that one again
A man comes into my life and you have to compromise? For what?
For what?
For what? A relationship is a relationship that has to be earned
Not to compromise for
And I love relationships, I think they're fantastic
They're wonderful, I think that's great I think there's
Nothing in the world more beautiful than falling in love
But falling in love for the right reasons
Falling in love for the right purpose
Falling in love, falling in love
When you fall in love
What is there to compromise about?
Ohh, ha, ha, ha
Ohh, ha, ha, ha
I's got to make this quick
I don't want to waste time
Make it faster, stronger, deeper
Pulled out with the passion rolled out
Roll out on the red carpet
Roll out the chariot
Friar, dancing by the fire
Singing
I'm leaving tonight
I'm leaving tonight
I'm leaving tonight, tonight
Yeah
Haven't we been here before
Haven't you heard the end of the story?
It isn't over yet
Keep patience on the left side of your brain
Virtues are relative, no pain
(Alright)
@princessaxel
i miss u baby sza :(
@supermiraclesa
Not only my favourite SZA song but probably one of the best songs I've ever heard ❤
@ytyoungrichnhigh
all the comments on here are fairly recent.... I like that
@Thecharmedonee
Witchy as hell IYkYK 🔥
@user-xk7bz5jn9x
I’ve been searching for this sample and this song for the past 5 years probably totally forgot about this mixtape
@ReezyDoesIt
Brandun DeShay underrated. Beats too fire
@wavyinterlude9411
Literally
@nkosidlaminii
i need an 1 hour loop of this
@kheirfrancis22
I'm in love with this one, it needs to be longer
@wavyinterlude9411
Hopefully if she ever releases this tape onto streaming services, she’ll add extended versions