SZA‘s last project, Z, came in April 2014. At that point I was: a junior in college, not all too worried about my finances, playing Piñata on loop and worrying about starting an internship soon.
It’s been a long three years for both SZA and I, and we’re both completely different people now. Me, I’m totally worried about my finances and no longer in college, and SZA, she’s a much more mature and skilled songwriter, putting her transgressions into song with ease, as is evident on “Love Galore” and “Broken Clocks,” singles from her new album, CTRL.
While the album may be viewed as often-delayed, it’s really only been a couple months since promotion for the album started with “Drew Barrymore.” And if there’s anyone reading this who’s followed the release of music since before three years ago, a couple months was one time standard for rolling an album out.
But now we have CTRL, a 14-song album featuring Kendrick Lamar, longtime brotherly collaborator Isaiah Rashad, Travi$ Scott (“Love Galore”) and James Fauntleroy.
On the album, SZA dives into her past relationships in a direct way, rarely hiding behind metaphors or hyperbole, as she pointed out in an interview with The Breakfast Club this week. “Most of the album is me talking to me,” she told the trio, airing out grievances with her and her former partners while detoxing from those relationships at the same time.
And now you can find out what SZA’s really been up to the last three years. With CTRL now available on your favorite streaming service. Check out the Cam O’bi-laced “Doves In The Wind” with Kendrick below, and cop the album on iTunes.
