Musician SZA aka Solána Rowe hasn’t said a whole lot since October when she Tweeted that she was ending her musical career, writing, “I actually quit. @iamstillpunch can release my album if he ever feels like it. Y’all be blessed.”
The Tweet was a direct call out of Top Dawg Entertainment president, Terrence “Punch” Henderson, who shortly after posted an image of Batman villain, The Joker, and wrote “Lol,” which many viewed as a response to SZA’s frustrated Tweet, a rather disturbing realization if ever there was one of what caused SZA to Tweet what she did in the first place.
Lol. pic.twitter.com/EgQa4647NY
— Punch TDE (@iamstillpunch) October 3, 2016
The Missouri born and Jersey raised singer has finally decided to speak at length and checked in with Complex about a variety of music-related topics, including her relationship with Henderson.“Me and Punch never get along, that’s every day. They call me one of the homies. We’re all different, and that was hard to understand [at first] because they’re tough-love people and hard to read, but I dig it now. I don’t have any issues with my label. My label has been nothing but supportive of everything I’ve wanted to do,” explained SZA.
The good news is there will be another album, an effort that follows EPs Z (2014), S (2013) and See.SZA.Run (2012). For the as of yet unnamed album, SZA is said to have worked with or received guidance from producer James Fauntleroy, Thundercat, Tyler the Creator, Boots, Rick Rubin and Frank Ocean.
The album is described as darker than previous projects, and according to the aforementioned Joker, “She used to hide behind reverb and vibe, but this [album] is more raw. You can tell she’s speaking from experience and there are a lot of feelings there.”
Part of the more somber mood reflects SZA own growth as an artist, but also the current state of her existence. “My life has just been falling the fuck apart. I buried, like, three ex-boyfriends, my granny died, I buried someone two days ago… I’m devastated by the state of the world and the hatred.” She added, “Some days I feel defeated and I actually cry because I just don’t understand. Then you start getting biblical, like, ‘Why is this happening to my people?'”
As for whether she will continue to create within the music industry, SZA committed to finishing the album but nothing further, and said, “I’m definitely committed to completing this and I think…we’ll take it from there.”
Image is via Mambu Bayoh for Complex.
