50 Fun Facts About SZA

What is SZA's real first name?

SZA's real name is Solána Imani Rowe; she was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 8, 1989, and adopted SZA as a stage name.

SZA was born in St. Louis but grew up in which New Jersey town?

SZA grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey, after her family left St. Louis, and attended Columbia High School there; her mother worked for AT&T and her father for CNN.

SZA's stage name was inspired by the Supreme Alphabet and which two rappers?

She modeled the name on Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and GZA; in the Supreme Alphabet the S stands for savior or sovereign, the Z for zig-zag and the A for Allah.

SZA wore a hijab in elementary and early middle school but stopped after which event, fearing bullying?

SZA stopped wearing her hijab after the September 11 attacks, fearing she would be bullied; raised by a Muslim father and a Christian mother, she attended both Sunday school and Muslim school.

What did SZA study at Delaware State University before dropping out in her final semester?

SZA studied marine biology at Delaware State University, her third college, and dropped out in her final semester, then worked bar and retail jobs while recording music.

Which record label signed SZA in July 2013, making her its first female artist?

Top Dawg Entertainment signed SZA in July 2013 as its first female artist; she had met label president Terrence 'Punch' Henderson at a 2011 CMJ show her boyfriend's clothing company sponsored.

What was the title of SZA's self-released debut EP from October 2012?

See.SZA.Run, self-released in October 2012, was SZA's debut EP; The Guardian likened its moody production to Drake's records, and it earned her early blog attention.

Which SZA EP, released in April 2014, was led by the single 'Babylon' featuring Kendrick Lamar?

Z, released in April 2014, debuted at number 39 on the Billboard 200 with 6,980 first-week copies and was led by the Kendrick Lamar collaboration 'Babylon'.

Which rapper delivered a guest verse on the remix of SZA's 2013 song 'Teen Spirit'?

50 Cent rapped the guest verse on the 2013 remix of SZA's 'Teen Spirit', released months after she signed her first label deal.

Which Rihanna song did SZA co-write and feature on, having planned it as the centrepiece of her own album?

SZA co-wrote and sang on 'Consideration', the opening track of Rihanna's 2016 album Anti, after originally intending it for her own record.

SZA co-wrote 'Feeling Myself', a 2014 collaboration between Beyoncé and which rapper?

SZA holds a writing credit on 'Feeling Myself', Nicki Minaj's 2014 single with Beyoncé from The Pinkprint; she calls Beyoncé her biggest inspiration after her mother.

What was SZA's debut album originally going to be titled before it became Ctrl?

The album was first announced under the one-letter title A, meant to complete the trilogy begun by her two earlier one-letter EPs, before being renamed Ctrl.

In what year was Ctrl finally released?

Ctrl was released on June 9, 2017, after delays so frustrating that SZA tweeted she was quitting music, then took it back.

Which actress's name is also the title of a single from SZA's album Ctrl?

'Drew Barrymore', the lead single from Ctrl, is named after the actress SZA saw as a fellow misfit; she also named 'Go Gina' after Tisha Campbell's character on Martin.

Which Ctrl single features Travis Scott?

'Love Galore', the second single from Ctrl, features Travis Scott; the deluxe edition later added an alternate version without his verse alongside six other outtakes.

Where did Ctrl debut on the Billboard 200?

Ctrl debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 with 60,000 first-week units and went on to spend hundreds of consecutive weeks on the chart.

How many Grammy nominations did SZA receive for Ctrl in 2018, making her that year's most-nominated woman?

SZA earned five nominations at the 2018 Grammys, including Best New Artist and a nod for Ctrl itself, making her the most-nominated woman that year, yet she lost all five.

'All the Stars', SZA's 2018 duet with Kendrick Lamar, led the soundtrack of which film?

'All the Stars' led the Black Panther soundtrack curated by Kendrick Lamar and earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Song plus four Grammy nods including Record of the Year.

SZA's first Billboard Hot 100 top ten came as a featured artist on 'What Lovers Do' by which band?

Maroon 5's 'What Lovers Do', featuring SZA, peaked at number nine on the Hot 100, her first top ten, months before 'All the Stars' reached number seven.

'Kiss Me More', which won SZA her first Grammy, was a collaboration with which artist?

Its chorus interpolates Olivia Newton-John's 'Physical', so Steve Kipner and Terry Shaddick got writing credits too.

Which December 2020 single, the lead single from SOS, gave SZA her first solo top ten in the US?

'Good Days', released on Christmas Day 2020 as the lead single from SOS, peaked at number nine on the Hot 100, SZA's first solo top ten.

Which SOS track features indie singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers?

'Ghost in the Machine' pairs SZA with indie singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers and was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2024 Grammys.

The SOS teaser video hinted at the album's title by playing what?

The teaser played its Morse code: SOS as three dots, three dashes, three dots, over a snippet of the then-unreleased song 'PSA'.

The SOS album cover, with SZA seated on a diving board over the sea, references a 1997 photo of whom?

The cover restages a 1997 photo of Diana, Princess of Wales, sitting on the diving board of a yacht off Portofino, Italy, weeks before her death.

How many tracks are on the standard edition of SZA's album SOS?

The standard edition of SOS runs 23 tracks and nearly 68 minutes, opening with its title track and closing with 'Forgiveless', making it SZA's longest album.

SOS broke which two albums' records for the longest-running US top ten by a woman and by a Black artist?

SOS overtook both Adele's 21 and Michael Jackson's Thriller in mid-2024 to become the longest-running Billboard 200 top-ten album by a woman and by a Black artist.

Which rapper features on 'Used', a track from SZA's album SOS?

'Used' features Houston rapper Don Toliver; the album's other guest rappers include Travis Scott on 'Open Arms'.

Which actress from the original Kill Bill films appears in SZA's 'Kill Bill' music video?

Vivica A. Fox, who played Vernita Green in the Tarantino films, cameos in Christian Breslauer's video, which restages several scenes with SZA in the Bride's role.

'Kill Bill' ranked third on Billboard's year-end Hot 100 for which year?

'Kill Bill' finished third on Billboard's 2023 year-end Hot 100, behind only Morgan Wallen's 'Last Night' and Miley Cyrus's 'Flowers', after peaking at number one that April.

Which SOS single won Best R&B Song at the 2024 Grammys, where SZA was the most-nominated artist?

'Snooze' won Best R&B Song at the 2024 Grammys, where SZA led all artists with nine nominations; an acoustic version of the song features Justin Bieber.

Which pop-rock track on SOS was co-written with Lizzo, SZA's would-be rock bandmate?

'F2F', the pop-punk moment on SOS, carries a co-writing credit from Lizzo; the two have talked about forming a rock band together.

Which Ctrl track features a verse from rapper Isaiah Rashad?

'Pretty Little Birds' features rapper Isaiah Rashad, SZA's labelmate; Ctrl's other guests are Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar and James Fauntleroy.

Which Drake song featuring SZA became her second US number one in September 2023?

'Slime You Out', from Drake's For All the Dogs, debuted at number one on the Hot 100, giving SZA her second chart-topper after 'Kill Bill'.

What is the title of the deluxe reissue of SOS, released in December 2024?

Lana, the SOS deluxe edition released on December 20, 2024, added 15 tracks; SZA told Variety it was practically a new album, and its lead single was 'Saturn'.

SZA announced the SOS deluxe edition's release date on which Twitch streamer's livestream?

SZA revealed the deluxe's December 20, 2024 release date during a guest appearance on Kai Cenat's Twitch livestream, one of the platform's most-watched channels.

'Luther', SZA's 13-week US number one with Kendrick Lamar, appears on which of his albums?

'Luther' comes from GNX, Kendrick Lamar's surprise 2024 album; SZA also sings on its closing track 'Gloria'.

SZA joined Kendrick Lamar on stage at the halftime show of which NFL championship game in February 2025?

SZA sang 'Luther' and 'All the Stars' with Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in New Orleans on February 9, 2025.

What record did SZA and Kendrick Lamar's 2025 Grand National run of stadium shows break?

The Grand National Tour became the highest-grossing co-headlining tour ever, and the biggest hip hop tour, while also being the first all-stadium run for either artist.

What is the name of the lip-product line SZA sold only at pop-ups on the Grand National Tour?

Not Beauty, SZA's lip-gloss line, launched in 2025 and was sold only at pop-ups on the Grand National Tour; that year Vans also named her its first artistic director.

SZA made her film debut opposite Keke Palmer in which 2025 buddy comedy?

One of Them Days, released in January 2025, casts SZA and Keke Palmer as roommates scrambling for rent money; it grossed over $50 million on a $14 million budget.

Which 2014 SZA track features Chance the Rapper?

'Child's Play' features Chance the Rapper; the same 2014 EP also has Kendrick Lamar on 'Babylon' and Isaiah Rashad on 'Warm Winds'.

Which folk legend's first name titles a track on the SOS deluxe edition?

'Joni' takes its name from Joni Mitchell, the Canadian singer-songwriter behind Blue; SZA first shared the song on SoundCloud in 2021 before it landed on the deluxe.

Which late Wu-Tang Clan rapper is credited as a guest on SZA's album SOS?

Ol' Dirty Bastard, who died in 2004, is credited posthumously on 'Forgiveless', the closing track of SOS, through archival vocals.

Which Grammy did SOS win at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards?

SOS won Best Progressive R&B Album at the 66th Grammys in 2024, one of nine nominations that night, while losing Album of the Year to Taylor Swift's Midnights.

How many equivalent album units did SOS sell in its first week to debut at number one?

SOS debuted at number one with 318,000 equivalent album units, SZA's biggest week, and logged ten weeks on top during its initial chart run.

Where did SZA say she finished recording SOS in 2022?

SZA finished recording SOS in Hawaii in 2022, writing much of it there in deadline-driven bursts after years of on-and-off sessions.

Why did SZA's label confiscate her hard drive while she was making Ctrl?

She could not choose which songs to keep: SZA had recorded between 150 and 200 and kept reworking Ctrl until her label took the drive to force a finish.

Which Ctrl single samples a Justin Timberlake track from FutureSex/LoveSounds?

'The Weekend' is built on a ThankGod4Cody sample of 'Set the Mood (Prelude)/Until the End of Time', giving Justin Timberlake, Timbaland and Danja writing credits.

Which 1992 film's lonely, lashing-out character inspired SZA's Ctrl single named for its star?

SZA said the beat reminded her of Poison Ivy and of its title character being 'lonely and pissed that her life was like this'.

Which major label co-releases SZA's albums with her home label?

RCA Records partners with SZA's home label on her releases, co-issuing both Ctrl and SOS under a joint arrangement.