SZA takes ‘Ctrl’ of her future with new work
Drew Barrymore, Solange, Issa Rae give her a hand
Summer is winding down, but SZA season is just ramping up.
After three years of toiling away on new music — with pit stops co-writing Nicki Minaj’s Feelin’ Myself and Rihanna’s Consideration, on which she guested — SZA released her long-awaited debut, Ctrl, in June. The critically acclaimed effort bowed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, setting into motion a whirlwind past couple of months for the instantly relatable R&B chanteuse.
“The transition is funky,” says Solána Rowe, 26, who was raised Muslim and whose stage name contains letters from the Supreme Alphabet. “I’m a creature of habit and this is just way out of my habit, but it’s cool.”
USA TODAY caught up with the breakout star about her monumental summer.
OVER THE MOON.
Sunday, SZA competed at the MTV Video Music Awards for best new artist, where she was nominated alongside the likes of Noah Cyrus and Khalid. She learned of her nom when her friend texted her a screenshot of the news. “I was like, ‘Shut the (expletive) up, this is not real. I need to go to a real website,’ ” SZA says. “I just couldn’t believe it. I had to tell everybody at the same time, so I just told Twitter.”
JOSIE GROSSIE IRL.
In late June, SZA released the music video for Ctrl standout Drew Barrymore, which features a cameo from the actress. SZA wrote Barrymore a “long, dramatic letter” about “how all her movies shaped me,” from E.T. the Extra Terrestrial to Poison Ivy to Never Been Kissed. She detailed how Barrymore’s character in the latter, Josie Grossie, “made me feel better about being awk- ward and having crooked teeth and just being myself.” Her manager never actually sent Barrymore the letter, but reached out to her team regardless.
FRIENDSHIP GOALS.
SZA’s next video features an admirer behind the camera. She recently shot a video for The Weekend that was directed by Solange. Although the singer won’t spill details about its concept, she says it features 10 different locations and looks. SZA first met Solange a year ago and has talked about collaborating ever since. “I love her,” SZA says. “I think the universe is just bringing us closer to each other. That’s my homegirl.”
HITS GALORE.
SZA’s Love Galore, which features rapper Travis Scott, hit No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart last week.
Despite the track’s popularity, “even it playing in the Dollar Store is still very unexpected to me.” Before now, “I’ve never heard my music (outside the studio), so when it’s on the radio, I’m like, ‘Are you sure?’ ”
SMALL-SCREEN STAR.
HBO’s Insecure featured SZA’s emotionally raw ballad Supermodel earlier this season, as Issa (series creator Issa Rae) compares herself with an ex’s new girlfriend. “Insecure (has been) my favorite show on television, way before they ever included me,” SZA says. “It’s the coolest thing to happen to me. I love when things that I’m involved in really matter, and when people like me back and don’t just think I’m corny.” She cried watching the episode “because I felt like I was reliving the entire situation. It’s like (Rae) made a music video for me.”
SZA was also name-dropped this season when Issa’s friend Molly (Yvonne Orji) turned down tickets to her concert. Might a guest-starring role be in the cards? “That would be an eff-ing honor,” SZA says. “I don’t know what I’d want to do, but I definitely don’t want to play myself!”