After five years of anticipation, the wait for a new SZA album is finally over. “SOS” succeeds her 2017 release “Ctrl.” “Ctrl” sparked SZA’s rise to fame as an R&B artist, expressing the complications of love, self-growth and heartbreak. The strong feelings SZA conveyed through “Ctrl” have carried us throughout our teenage years. 

Through the 23 tracks of “SOS,” SZA grapples with similar topics expressed in “Ctrl,” such as love and relationships. In “SOS,” she reveals a new self-confidence through powerful lyrics that explores how she is moving on from past relationships. We connected with the message of “SOS,” and other listeners did too.

Upon the release of “SOS,” SZA was inundated with an immense amount of support from listeners. In addition to over 400 million streams within a week of release, SZA landed 21 tracks from “SOS” on the BillBoard Hot 100 chart, with multiple songs placed in the top 10 (AllHipHop).

In 68 minutes, SZA explores a variety of genres that she has not previously experimented with. In the song “F2F,” SZA expresses the feeling of missing her ex. Although this song further elaborates on a theme the artist has explored before, SZA experiments with new aspects of music such as pop rock. In the eleventh track, “Smoking on my Ex Pack,” the artist uses rhyming bars to execute a rap song. This anti-ex anthem creates a sense of power that pushes herself and listeners to move on from their past. 

Although we appreciate these new musical explorations, we sometimes felt that “SOS” was a bit convoluted. With 23 tracks and a mix of genres we found it hard to follow. Compared to the 14 songs in her previous album “Ctrl,” and only 10 songs in her first album “Z,” we felt that fewer tracks created a smooth flow that allowed fans to listen from start to finish. 

The R&B niche she inhabited through “Ctrl” sparked our love for her music. We appreciate the aspects of “Ctrl” that SZA continues to embody in her new album. Throughout some of our favorite tracks, “Gone Girl” and “Used,” we felt the same sense of comfort and reassurance that “Ctrl” brought. Within these songs, she uses relatable lyrics to express the vulnerability that many teenagers and young adults feel.  

After listening to the 23 tracks of “SOS,” we are excited to have an abundance of new music from one of our favorite artists. Although some parts were hard to follow, we appreciate SZA’s exploration into new genres of music. Through “SOS,” SZA has continued to prove why she is one of the most influential R&B artists of our generation.