Introduction to SZA: Solána Rowe For Dummies

 For those of you who don’t know the sweet sultry sounds of SZA, you have been missing out.  The 25-year-old singer songwriter has been putting us all in the mood for fluffy hair and magical nights in the woods since her first EP. The New Jersey native has also been the first lady of Kendrick Lamar’s label Top Dawg Entertainment since 2012. She is known for making music with household names like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Willow Smith and more this fiery freckled face beauty can’t be stopped. Growing up in a strict household, Rowe wasn’t allowed to listen to many of the popular songs on the radio, her dad introduced her to Miles Davis, Coltrane etc. In an interview with okayplayer Sza states,“A lot of my contemporary music tastes came from dance, because I was dancing in the American Dance Theater and the American Ballet Theater. I also had this mix CD from a friend with Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Lucy Pearl, LFO— all of this stuff that was being played on the radio that I didn’t really know much about. I guess now I’m a mixture of all of those things.” Having a unique musical influence shows throughout her projects.

See.SZA.Run

In  October 2012 SZA (sizzuh) released her first EP, which featured production from brandUN Deshay, APSuperProducer and more. The Glittery songstress gave the audience a taste of soulful, hearty tracks such as country, bed and more. In this album Sza gave us love, pain, revenge and freedom; through her dreamy music Rowe takes the audience on a journey through her mind and dreams.

Tracks to start with: Country, Bed, Euphraxia

S

Sza blew her fans away with this 8- track EP with production from Felix Snow, WNDRBRD, Patrick Lukens, Zodiac, BrandUN Deshay and Warren Vaughn. With tracks like Pray and Ice Moon Sza gives us an introduction into “glitter trap’’ music. This EP became the beginning of a trilogy that fans are currently anticipating. Sza’s odd comparisons in her music leads you to listen to a song more than once so that you understand the message. Rowe’s detailed visions takes you on a magical conquest.

Tracks to start with: Castles, IceMoon, Pray

Z

In  April 2014, Z the second  EP to the trilogy was released. With the success of  'Z', Rowe explains to billboard, "I didn't expect people to like my music or to take to it the way they have," SZA says. "After 'See.SZA.Run' and 'S,' I originally thought I would do another EP and that it would be this little thing… but then everything blew up. It's different now. I feel like I owe people more." On this EP Sza digs deep on songs like Babylon and Omega.

Tracks to start with: Julia, Babylon, Child’s Play.

Don’t worry the third EP  to this trilogy is coming soon.  A couple of weeks ago SZA gave supporters just a taste of what we can expect from A, with a track titled TwoAM. Rowe never disappoints us with every vocal chord dripping in moodiness and magic;  fans are anticipating the release of A.

text: Imani Green

Visuals: Vogue