14-time Grammy Nominee SZA has finally filled her album drought after five years. Fans had begged for a new release since 2017, when her breakthrough album Ctrl smashed the charts with hits like “Love Galore” and “The Weekend”. Until 2022, songs from Ctrl took their turns on the billboard top 200, and for that reason, she wasn’t prompted to drop a new album. The buzz around her newest release, SOS, was massive on social media from the second she dropped the track list on her Instagram. 

The first  single, “Blind”, was a slower paced song than some fans were expecting, straying from her upbeat R&B hits from her previous releases. The style of the song had her audience anticipating an emotional and slow album. 

The most popular track off of the album was the second track, “Kill Bill”. The song has gone viral on TikTok and is heard by millions. The lo-fi beat carries through the song as SZA’s airy background vocals deliver eerie lyrics about her ex-boyfriend. After the release of the album, several versions of the song were released such as a sped up version, an instrumental, deconstructed acapella vocals, and an acoustic version. 

Much like her hit “Love Galore” from Ctrl, the 21st track of the album features Travis Scott. The song showcases a softer side of his vocals that isn’t seen often. Fans loved the gentle lyrics adding a tender touch to the album. There was controversy over his feature in Ctrl, with some fans saying he ruined the song with more vulgar lyrics, but others think that it gave the song more exposure because of his status as an artist while SZA was still upcoming. SZA has come out about artists who were offered chances to be featured on numerous songs from SOS but failed to turn in verses on time. 

In terms of features, the album has four tracks to choose from. Notably the song “Ghost in the Machine”, which features a verse from Phoebe Bridgers. Bridgers is an upcoming artist who is greatly known for her intimate writing in songs such as “Motion Sickness”, “I Know The End”, and “Savior Complex”. Fans loved how the two artists’ styles combined to form a song with a catchy R&B/soul chorus as well as a chilling verse added by Bridgers, capturing her melancholic and realist songwriting. 

Overall, the album was bound to be successful with the sheer size of SZA’s fanbase, but it speaks for itself with catchy beats and enchanting harmonies to dance around the lyrics for each track. Knowing how long it took for this album to be released, it could be a while before fans receive more music- so it’s best to savor all 23 tracks for as long as possible!