Glastonbury: Seven things to know about SZA
SZA will be the final act performing on the main stage at Glastonbury on Sunday night.
In an unprecedented move, Glastonbury will feature two women as headliners for the first time ever. Following Dua Lipa's performance on Friday, American R&B sensation SZA will take the stage as the closing act on Sunday.
Having amassed billions of streams, the 34-year-old singer is among the most popular artists worldwide. With 70 million monthly Spotify listeners, she is close to reaching the same level of popularity as Coldplay.
She may not be as popular as others among UK audiences...but that could soon be different.
Here is all the information you should know about the celebrity.
SZA's latest album cover draws inspiration from a candid paparazzi shot of Princess Diana posing on a diving board.
She Took Her Stage Name From The Wu-Tang Clan's RZA
Curious about how to say SZA's name? It's pronounced as "sizza," kind of like sizzle or the singular form of scissors.
Solána Imani Rowe, known as the singer SZA, was inspired by RZA from Wu-Tang Clan when choosing her stage name.
The short form of the term originates from the Supreme Alphabet, which is utilized by the Five Percent Nation - a movement that aims to empower black individuals and is heavily influenced by the principles of Islam.
In the blog, it was explained that the Z represents Zig-zag, the A represents Allah, and she has mentioned in the past that the S can stand for either savior or sovereign.
None of her friends refer to her as SZA. Instead, they call her by her nickname, Sous, which bears a striking resemblance to the title of her second album, SOS.
Her Career Could Have Taken A Different Path
SZA's debut album, Ctrl, received five Grammy nominations in 2017. However, it was her second album, SOS, that catapulted her to superstar status.
The album reached number one on the Billboard charts for a total of 10 weeks, making it the most successful for a female artist during the 2020s.
However, she was creating music well before achieving record-breaking success.
She signed a contract for her music in 2013. This happened after she successfully got her own EPs in front of Terrence Henderson, who was the boss of Kendrick Lamar's record company, Top Dawg Entertainment.
She not only writes songs for herself, but she has also written successful songs for Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott, and Rihanna.
Her regular job could have been very different, because she was studying marine biology at college.
Likely Heard Her Before
Even if you can't immediately recall a specific song, chances are you have come across SZA's music on TikTok or mainstream radio in recent years.
The amount of streams she has on her songs is really impressive. Her most popular track, Kill Bill, has almost reached 2 billion streams on Spotify.
The song is a hilariously exaggerated breakup song, where she daydreams about getting rid of her ex and his new partner.
Her additional songs are filled with emotion and honesty, delving into intimate connections and timeless questions through an innovative yet harmonious style of R&B.
Some popular songs by the artist are Good Days, Snooze, and Love Galore, where Travis Scott is featured. She also collaborated with Kendrick Lamar on the Black Panther soundtrack, gaining success with the song All The Stars.
You may recognize her vocals from some of her previous projects as well. Such as Doja Cat's "Kiss Me More", The Weeknd's "All The Stars", or Maroon 5's "What Lovers Do".
She Won't Hold Back In Music
SZA's music is influenced by a variety of artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Björk.
And, over the course of her career, she's expressed that she doesn't want to be restricted to only R&B music.
"No one ever treats white people like that, not at all. Adele or Justin Bieber are never treated that way when they are singing R&B from the heart," she shared with Wonderland in 2020.
She said to The New York Times last year that she often gets grouped into discussions about R&B, but she believes she has the ability to excel in any genre.
The previous album received high praise for its diverse range of musical styles, blending elements from soul, electronica, and indie rock.
Pitchfork praised the album, giving it a score of 8.7 out of 10, for staying true to R&B roots while also showing a nonchalant attitude towards typical genre conventions.
She Won Brit Award Before Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift, SZA, and Lizzo were all at the Grammy awards in 2024.
Because Taylor Swift is so well-known in many cultures, a lot of people thought she would win the international artist award at the Brit Awards this year.
Ultimately, SZA emerged as the winner, beating out Swift, Rodrigo, and Cyrus for the trophy.
However, this was not a situation where a smaller competitor triumphed over a larger one. SZA's album has been praised as a work of art, while in 2023, Swift's only new content consisted of re-recordings of her albums 1989 and Speak Now.
The British awards ceremony made up for the mistake that happened at the Grammys. SZA had the most nominations at the Grammy Awards (nine in total) but did not win in any of the main categories.
In a video message she recorded before, SZA suggested that she would return to the UK soon. Just one month later, it was revealed that she would headline at Worthy Farm.
Emily Eavis Excited For SZA Show
When the Glastonbury list of performers was released in March, some individuals were curious about and likely searching online to learn more about the artist SZA.
Some followers of the singer raised doubts about whether it was too soon in her career to be the headliner.
However, critics are eagerly anticipating her performance, and organizer Emily Eavis is thrilled to have SZA included in the lineup.
"It's really special to have SZA performing at Glastonbury for the first time," she said to Grazia.
Introducing someone new to the experience always presents unique obstacles, but it's thrilling when they are enthusiastic and full of great ideas. It's exciting to work together to make those ideas come to life on the Pyramid stage.
It's obvious that Glastonbury is looking to make some changes – starting with having two female headliners and shifting away from its traditional rock music to better connect with the tastes of today's audiences.
Renowned For Hosting Exclusive Guests
SZA and Cardi B joined forces for a memorable performance at the 2018 Coachella music festival.
Olivia Rodrigo surprising everyone with a performance with Lily Allen, Kylie teaming up with Nick Cave, Miley Cyrus bringing her dad Billy Ray and Lil Nas X on stage for Old Town Road - Glastonbury wouldn't be the same without some unexpected guest appearances.
And, when it comes to partners, SZA has a wide selection to pick from, including Doja Cat and former Glastonbury main act Kendrick Lamar featured in her musical collection.
Attendees at a concert in New York City last year were fortunate to witness Bridgers and Cardi B team up to perform their songs together: Ghost in the Machine and I Do.
Summer Walker and Lizzo have also joined her on stage, while Travis Scott surprised fans by making appearances at three of SZA's shows during her UK tour last year.
Therefore, it is quite possible that we will have a "ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to the stage" moment on Sunday.
