Turns out Kendrick Lamar wasn't the only Top Dawg performer releasing an album after a five year gap; Kendrick's 1,855 days was SZA's 2,009 days. Her debut album CTRL got plenty of praise and accolades throughout 2017, and fans patiently waited for another release from her. They waited, and waited, and waited - patience truly is a virtue, dear reader, and albums like Mr. Morale and SOS are proof. SZA has finally returned, and the album she comes back with is nothing short of a great body. An even more massive statement than CTRL was, SOS showcases a variety of sounds, styles, and ideas, all under the same moody, introspective themes. The result is a late-runner for one of the best albums of the year.
At over an hour long, the listening process of SOS is a little bit exhausting, but I can assure you that it's all worth it. SZA incorporates plenty of genres and sounds throughout, so if you expect things to get boring, you can think again. SOS is a very versatile album with songs that range from R&B to soul to trap to even alt-rock and folk. Because of the variety, SOS bounces around moment to moment, always staying on its feet. R&B is at the soul of this album, however, not dissimilar from CTRL in that regard. Both also have a few featuers, with Travis Scott returning for a verse on "Open Arms." We also get an appearance from Don Toliver, who delivers some silky smooth vocals on "Used," and a verse from indie-folk star Phoebe Bridgers on album highlight "Ghost in the Machine," a pessimistic reflection on show business and the music industry. A posthumous Ol' Dirty Bastard sample is also featured on album closer "Forgiveless," an assertion of confidence in one's self - SZA's confidence isn't just felt here, of course, but on the entire record.
From start to finish, SOS is a pretty vulnerable sounding album filled with emotion. Opening track "SOS" sets the scene, and moments like "Used," "Snooze," "Notice Me," and "F2F" continue with themes of troubled love, a theme that permeates the ethos of SOS. These more down-trodden themes fill the album for the most part, eventually shedding their skin by the final tracks of "Good Days" and "Forgiveless," with the former being an anthem of hope for better days ahead, released as a single two years ago (that long ago? Damn), and "Forgiveless" essentially is a counter-thesis to the album's heartbreak and loss of love. The eventual resolution of the album's themes makes everything come together rather brilliantly in the second half, and not just because we get the most versatility of SZA on this half. Of course, all this glossing over the main themes invariably led to me skipping over great moments like the excellent pop track "Kill Bill" or the incredibly hard-hitting "Smoking on My Ex Pack," as well as some weak moments like "Conceited" or "Low," two moments that I don't plan on revisiting in the future.
Even still, SOS is, in my mind, a great addition to the Album of the Year conversation. Is it my album of the year? No, not really, but it certainly is a great album, and one that I hope will certainly live up to the hype and expectations set by other people. I wasn't necessarily familiar with SZA's work prior to this review, but some back-listening has shown me a blatant, obvious talent - a great singer who isn't at all afraid to try new things. It's a great, varied album with excellently explored themes of love, insecurity, and heartbreak - think Taylor Swift's Midnights thematically, but leaning heavier into the R&B circle, and doing everything that album does better.
RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
Listen to SOS.
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