Three months ago, I saw a clip of SZA with bug prosthetics on Hot Ones, a YouTube show where celebrity guests answer questions while eating dangerously spicy wings. While that might seem like utter nonsense to the non-chronically-online, it was that clip that piqued my curiosity regarding SZA’s upcoming album drop.
The album, “Lana,” was released on Dec 20, 2024 and is a deluxe version of SZA’s album “SOS,” which was released two years ago. It includes 15 new songs in addition to the 23 that were on the original SOS. However, “Lana” is more than a typical deluxe album because it introduces a new aesthetic, contrasting the aquatic themes of “SOS” with the more terrestrial, highlighting woods and camping themes. A four time Grammy award winner and 2023 Billboard Woman of the Year in Music, SZA’s accolades are plentiful, so I had high hopes for this album.
In typical SZA fashion, her voice is the focal point of the songs, contrasting vulnerable themes with angelic harmonies. My personal favorite of the album, lead single “Saturn” was released in February of last year, and has been on repeat in my head ever since. In the song, SZA fantasizes about disrupting the monotony and pain of her daily life by escaping to another planet. Peaking at sixth on the Billboard Hot 100, the song has wide appeal because it taps into the theme of escapism, while highlighting her beautiful vocals, set amidst a dreamy instrumental. This song is quintessential SZA, represents everything there is to love about her music.
Two other singles, “30 for 30,” which featured Kendrick Lamar, and “BMF” are good, but not the best offerings from the album. Lamar and SZA have collaborated numerous times recently, with SZA being featured on two songs from Lamar’s latest album “GNX.” That being said, I felt that “30 for 30” didn’t quite meet my expectations for what two powerhouses like SZA and Lamar should be able to create in the studio. Despite being a decent song, it stands as one of my least favorites on the album because the others were far superior in terms of writing and production.
I was wary of listening to “BMF,” because it’s been a popular TikTok audio in recent weeks, which is typically a major red flag. If I hear the same ten seconds of the same song on my FYP over and over, the odds I’m going to listen to the whole song and love it are slim. However, “BMF” defied my low expectations and I appreciated the playfulness of the lyrics and catchy chorus that lent itself well to trending online.
SZA balanced these more upbeat tracks with raw ballads like “Crybaby,” which stood out to me because it explores an introspective side of SZA, complimenting the true emotion in her voice with lyrics that any overthinker can relate to. She sings, “You should stop focusing on all that negative blocking the positive,” almost a reminder to herself in a world of constant judgement and viral criticisms. By calling herself a “crybaby,” she reclaims and takes the power out of the hate she’s received as an artist that is open about her flaws.
Overall, this album focuses on healthier themes, perhaps a nod to SZA’s personal growth and maturation. “Love Me 4 Me” and “My Turn” both represent self-love and protection, a message long overdue in the pop music genre. It wouldn’t be SZA without a tone of irreverence (think “Kill Bill” off “SOS”), telling the man she addresses in “My Turn,” “My turn, I did the learnin’/Your turn to do the hurtin.’” She doesn’t actually kill her ex in the song, so I’d call that growth.
As I was listening to these 15 new songs, I honestly forgot that “Lana” is supposed to be a deluxe version of “SOS.” In total, there’s thirty eight songs on the album, with a run time of almost two hours. I tried to listen to the album in one sitting, and by the end, the songs began to sound the same. Considering the lack of obvious cohesion between the original and new songs, I feel “Lana” could have done better as a stand alone album rather than crammed in with SZA’s two year old album. “SOS” shows a messier, emotionally raw side of her, while “Lana” presents her as more in control, making for a noticeable shift midway through the album. Despite this, the standouts of the album soared and have found their way onto my playlists.
