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| origin = [[Maplewood, New Jersey|Maplewood]], [[New Jersey]], U.S.<ref name="Complex">[http://www.complex.com/music/2013/09/who-is-sza/ "Complex Music"] Insanul Ahmed, 'Who is SZA?', ''Complex Music'', September 8, 2013.</ref>
| origin = [[Maplewood, New Jersey|Maplewood]], [[New Jersey]], U.S.<ref name="Complex">[http://www.complex.com/music/2013/09/who-is-sza/ "Complex Music"] Insanul Ahmed, 'Who is SZA?', ''Complex Music'', September 8, 2013.</ref>
| genre = [[PBR&B]], [[neo soul]]
| genre = [[PBR&B]], [[neo soul]]
| occupation = [[Singer-songwriter]]
| occupation = [[Singer-songwriter]], [['''<big>Reformed-thot</big>''']]
| years_active = 2012-present
| years_active = 2012-present
| label = [[Top Dawg Entertainment]]
| label = [[Top Dawg Entertainment]]
Line 24: Line 24:


==Career==
==Career==

<big>'''We know you fucked your way to the top guh, we just want your hair vendor bish!'''</big><ref>http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php?t=673600</ref>


===2011-present: Beginnings and ''Z''===
===2011-present: Beginnings and ''Z''===
Line 29: Line 31:
SZA first began recording music by accident, after recording one song she continued the process until she decided she should "something out of it." SZA recorded the songs with her friend and neighbor in which they "stole a bunch of beats off the Internet."<ref name="BillboardMay2013" />
SZA first began recording music by accident, after recording one song she continued the process until she decided she should "something out of it." SZA recorded the songs with her friend and neighbor in which they "stole a bunch of beats off the Internet."<ref name="BillboardMay2013" />
On October 29, 2012, SZA released her debut [[self-released]] [[extended play|EP]] entitled ''See.SZA.Run'', which featured production from brandUn DeShay, APSuperProducer, amongst others.<ref name="Complex-S-EP">[http://www.complex.com/music/2012/10/ep-premiere-sza-see-sza-run "Complex debut-EP Newsitem"] Zach Frydenlund, 'EP Premiere: SZA ''<nowiki>See SZA Run'</nowiki>'', ''Complex Music'', October 29, 2012.</ref>
On October 29, 2012, SZA released her debut [[self-released]] [[extended play|EP]] entitled ''See.SZA.Run'', which featured production from brandUn DeShay, APSuperProducer, amongst others.<ref name="Complex-S-EP">[http://www.complex.com/music/2012/10/ep-premiere-sza-see-sza-run "Complex debut-EP Newsitem"] Zach Frydenlund, 'EP Premiere: SZA ''<nowiki>See SZA Run'</nowiki>'', ''Complex Music'', October 29, 2012.</ref>



On April 10, 2013 SZA released her second extended play ''[[S (EP)|S]]'', which was met with positive reviews from music critics.<ref name="COS-2013">[http://consequenceofsound.net/2013/04/album-review-sza-s-ep/ "CoS review"] Adam Kivel, 'Album review: SZA - S EP', ''Consequence of Sound'', April 22, 2013.</ref><ref>[http://pigeonsandplanes.com/2013/04/download-szas-new-ep/ "Pigeon & Planes announcement"] Katie K, 'Download SZA’S new EP', ''Pigeons and Planes'', April 10, 2013.</ref> SZA promoted the extended play with the release of music video for the song "Ice Moon", the accompanying video was directed by Lemar & Dauley<ref name="Complex Media">[http://www.complex.com/music/2013/11/sza-ice-moon-video "Ice Moon video"] Dharmic X, 'SZA Releases Mystical Video For "Ice Moon', ''Complex Media'', November 13, 2013.</ref> On July 14, 2013 it was announced that Top Dawg had signed an upcoming female singer named SZA, to the label.<ref name="thesource.com">[http://thesource.com/2013/08/14/presenting-tdes-new-songstress-listen-to-szas-new-song-teen-spirit/ "Source newsitem"] Khari Nixon, 'Presenting TDE New Songstress', ''The Source'', August 14, 2013.</ref>
On April 10, 2013 SZA released her second extended play ''[[S (EP)|S]]'', which was met with positive reviews from music critics.<ref name="COS-2013">[http://consequenceofsound.net/2013/04/album-review-sza-s-ep/ "CoS review"] Adam Kivel, 'Album review: SZA - S EP', ''Consequence of Sound'', April 22, 2013.</ref><ref>[http://pigeonsandplanes.com/2013/04/download-szas-new-ep/ "Pigeon & Planes announcement"] Katie K, 'Download SZA’S new EP', ''Pigeons and Planes'', April 10, 2013.</ref> SZA promoted the extended play with the release of music video for the song "Ice Moon", the accompanying video was directed by Lemar & Dauley<ref name="Complex Media">[http://www.complex.com/music/2013/11/sza-ice-moon-video "Ice Moon video"] Dharmic X, 'SZA Releases Mystical Video For "Ice Moon', ''Complex Media'', November 13, 2013.</ref> On July 14, 2013 it was announced that Top Dawg had signed an upcoming female singer named SZA, to the label.<ref name="thesource.com">[http://thesource.com/2013/08/14/presenting-tdes-new-songstress-listen-to-szas-new-song-teen-spirit/ "Source newsitem"] Khari Nixon, 'Presenting TDE New Songstress', ''The Source'', August 14, 2013.</ref>

Revision as of 08:31, 18 May 2014

SZA
File:SZA 2014-04-08 13-21.jpg
Background information
Birth nameSolana Rowe
Born (1990-11-08) November 8, 1990 (age 33)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.[1]
OriginMaplewood, New Jersey, U.S.[1]
GenresPBR&B, neo soul
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, [[Reformed-thot]]
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active2012-present
LabelsTop Dawg Entertainment
Websitewww.iamsza.com

Solana Rowe (born November 8, 1990), better known by her stage name SZA, is an American singer-songwriter from Maplewood, New Jersey.[1] In October 2012 and October 2013 Rowe self-released two extended plays entitled See.SZA.Run (2012) and S (2013). It was revealed in July 2013, that she had signed to the independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment through which she released her debut EP Z on April 8, 2014.[2]

Early life

Solana Rowe was born in November 8, 1990, in St. Louis, Missouri before later relocating to Maplewood, New Jersey.[1] Her father was an executive producer at CNN, while her mother was an executive at AT&T. Rowe was born to a Christian mother and a Muslim father, she was raised as an orthodox Muslim and has an older half-sister.[1] She attended a "Muslim prep school" and attended secondary school everyday after her "regular school". After the 9/11 attacks Rowe was subject to bullying leading her to stop wearing her hijab. After secondary school, Rowe attended three separate colleges, in her freshman year she "got high and failed out".[1]

Rowe went to college to study a major in marine biology, with the intention to go to "grad school" in order to be a scientist and travel, the plan never accumulated and she began to do "random jobs" in order to make money.[3] Rowe formed her stage name from the Supreme Alphabet, taking influence from rapper RZA, the last two letters in her name stand for Zig-zag and Allah, while the first letter Rowe developed herself switching it from savior to "sovereign.”[1]

Career

We know you fucked your way to the top guh, we just want your hair vendor bish![4]

2011-present: Beginnings and Z

SZA first met members of Top Dawg Entertainment during the CMJ 2011, when her boyfriend's clothing company sponsored a show in which Kendrick Lamar was performing. A friend attending the show with her foisted early SZA songs onto TDE president Terrence "Punch" Henderson, who liked the material and stayed in touch.[2] SZA first began recording music by accident, after recording one song she continued the process until she decided she should "something out of it." SZA recorded the songs with her friend and neighbor in which they "stole a bunch of beats off the Internet."[3] On October 29, 2012, SZA released her debut self-released EP entitled See.SZA.Run, which featured production from brandUn DeShay, APSuperProducer, amongst others.[5]


On April 10, 2013 SZA released her second extended play S, which was met with positive reviews from music critics.[6][7] SZA promoted the extended play with the release of music video for the song "Ice Moon", the accompanying video was directed by Lemar & Dauley[8] On July 14, 2013 it was announced that Top Dawg had signed an upcoming female singer named SZA, to the label.[9] In October 2013, SZA went on a four show tour with Swedish band Little Dragon, starting on October 17 at the El Rey Theater Los Angeles and ending on October 24 at the Music Hall of Williamsbug, Brooklyn NY.[10] In December 2013, SZA released the song "Teen Spirit" which was followed by the release of a remix featuring American rapper 50 Cent, along with a music video directed by APLUSFILMZ.[11]

File:Sza at SXSW.png
Sza at SXSW in March 2014.

In 2014 SZA featured on a variety of songs from her label-mates albums including two songs for Isaiah Rashad debut extended play Cilvia Demo as well as featuring on Schoolboy Q debut studio album Oxymoron.[12][13] On March 26, 2014, R&B artist SZA released the single "Child's Play" featuring Chance The Rapper and produced by XXYYXX.[14] SZA announced the title and release date of her next EP, and released a new video.[15] The EP, titled Z, was released on April 8, 2014 and was preceded by the release of the lead single, "Babylon," which was accompanied with a music video directed by APLUS.FILMZ; the visual features SZA leaving her unimportant essentials behind as she gets baptized in the swamp’s murky waters. To promote the Z EP, SZA performed at several performance showcases at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas.[15]

SZA made her chart debut in the UK, where Z charted at thirty two, on the R&B Charts, the week ending April 19, 2014.[16] Z debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number thirty nine, selling 6,980 copies in its opening week, the album also peaked at number nine on the US Hip-Hop/R&B chart .[17]

In May 2014, SZA announced she was planning to embark on an international tour and has began recording her fourth extended play entitled "A".[18]

Artistry

Musical style

File:Sza 2013.png
SZA in November 2013 with Rashad

SZA described her vocals as having a "rasp" which she initially tried to "tenderise", SZA also listens to Ella Fitzgerald for vocal influence.[19] SZA vocal style has been described as taking on the "lilt" of a jazz singer.[20]

SZA musical style is described as "alt R&B".[21] SZA songs are built over "layers of sliced, delayed, and reversed vocals" and contains "twists and mutates".[5][22] Reggie Ugwu from Billboard finds her musical style to feature an "agnostic utopia dripping with mood", that straddles the "line between minimalist R&B, '80s synth pop and soul".[2] Rowe's music is predominately PBR&B and neo-soul, but has been noted for taking influences from a broad variety of genres including soul, hip hop, minimalist R&B, cloud rap, ethereal R&B, witch house and chillwave elements.[21] Micheal Madden described SZA musical genre as being "agnosticism corresponds", noting that her work is not just one style of music and is versatile, noting the musical style is not just "R&B, pop, soul, or one thing at all".[23]

SZA began writing songs due to being "passionate" about writing and enjoyed poetry, when writing lyrics SZA "freestyles" them in order to express whatever comes to her "mind", noting that it does not always make sense to herself.[3] Thematically, SZA work contains "unraveling lyrics", that touch upon themes of sexuality, nostalgia, and abandonment.[22] According to Micheal Madden from Consequence of Sound, SZA lyrical is sometimes "purposefully general" and sometimes "an ambitious but quick reference", which Madden compared to the rapper Angel Haze and her debut album Dirty Gold.[23]

Influences

SZA cites a range of musical artists as influences, as a child she grew up listening to Jazz music,[3] growing up SZA "couldn't do anything other than what" her dad did. So she listened to a lot of his music collection which included Miles Davis, Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong. Later musical influences happened by "accident" according to SZA.[1] During one of her classmates bar mitzvah SZA was given a mixtape which introduced her to artists including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, LFO and Macy Gray, she "loved" the CD and "played it until it was finished".[1] Via her sister she continued to broaden her influences when she was first introduced to rapper Lil Jon, her sister continued to introduce SZA to rappers including Wu-Tang Clan and members of Cash Money.[1]

SZA later began listening to rapper Common, Bjork, and "a lot of Wu, Nas, Mos Def, Hov", she described the artists music she discovered as sticking "hard".[1] SZA cites Bjork as being a major musical influences, speaking on Bjork, SZA said her "personal influences came from dancing with American Ballet Theatre and doing pieces to Björk. That's the only time I had really any outside influence to music. So, the people that I fell in love with on a musical level were always much older. Jamiroquai is just, like, the shit for me," whom she also grew up listening too.[24]

During an interview SZA said she was never really inspired by musicians or to become a musician, but was interested in creating a form of art, she looked up to people who were not "typical artists" including her "favorite gymnast, ice-skater, saxophonist, painter, or movie director" continuing to say she was inspired by film director Spike Lee.[24] SZA commented that singer Lauryn Hill was one of her personal and style influences saying she looked up to Hill.[25] During an interview SZA spoke again on her style influences, saying a large amount of her style inspiration comes from movies, expanding on this SZA commended Wes Anderson films and his use of "Pantone color palette" continuing to say the "wardrobe in all of his films and I would love to dress like a character from Moonrise Kingdom. Or perhaps Bill Murray in The Life Aquatic".[26]

Public image

SZA defined her style as being "Girl next door chick."[26] Solana's hair became a point of interest during the early stages of her career and she discussed it in interviews with Vogue magazine and Harper's Bazaar.[25]

Discography

Extended Plays

List of extended plays, with selected details and chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales
US US
R&B 		UK
See.SZA.Run — — —
S
  • Released: April 10, 2013[6]
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
 — — —
Z
  • Released: April 8, 2014[27]
  • Label: Top Dawg
  • Format: Digital download
 39 9 197
[28]
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Promotional singles

List of singles by main artist
Title Year Album
"Time Travel Undone" 2012 See.SZA.Run
"Country"
"Teen Spirirt" 2013 non-album single
"Ice Moon" S
"Babylon" 2014 Z
"Child's Play "

Guest appearances

List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name
Title Year Other performer(s) Album
"Tomorrow"[29] 2013 Kris Kasanova 24K
"Ronnie Drake"[12] 2014 Isaiah Rashad Cilvia Demo
"West Savannah"[12]
"His & Her Fiend"[30] Schoolboy Q Oxymoron

Videography

List of music videos, with directors, showing year released
Title Year Director(s)
"Country" 2012 —[31]
"Ice Moon" 2013 Lemar & Dauley[8]
"Teen Spirit" (Remix)
(featuring 50 Cent) 		APLUSFILMZ[11]
"Tomorrow"
(Kris Kasanova featuring SZA) 		Anthony Sylvester[32]
"Babylon"
 2014 APLUSFILMZ[33]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Complex Music" Insanul Ahmed, 'Who is SZA?', Complex Music, September 8, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "Billboard" Reggie Ugwu, 'SZA Talks 'Z' Album & Being the Only Girl In Top Dawg Entertainment', Billboard Magazine, April 7, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d "Billboard May 2013 interview" Reggie Ugwu, 'SZA Talks Quitting Her Day Job, Working With Holy Other & Emile Haynie', Billboard.com, May 23, 2013.
  4. ^ http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php?t=673600
  5. ^ a b c "Complex debut-EP Newsitem" Zach Frydenlund, 'EP Premiere: SZA See SZA Run', Complex Music, October 29, 2012.
  6. ^ a b "CoS review" Adam Kivel, 'Album review: SZA - S EP', Consequence of Sound, April 22, 2013.
  7. ^ "Pigeon & Planes announcement" Katie K, 'Download SZA’S new EP', Pigeons and Planes, April 10, 2013.
  8. ^ a b "Ice Moon video" Dharmic X, 'SZA Releases Mystical Video For "Ice Moon', Complex Media, November 13, 2013.
  9. ^ "Source newsitem" Khari Nixon, 'Presenting TDE New Songstress', The Source, August 14, 2013.
  10. ^ "Brooklyn vegan review" Ryan Muir, 'Little Dragon playing two NYC shows w/ SZA', Brooklyn Vegan, August 28, 2013.
  11. ^ a b "50ct remix" Dharmic X, '50 Cent Remixes SZA's "Teen Spirit"', Complex Media, December 6, 2013.
  12. ^ a b c Jeffries, David. "Cilvia Demo – Isaiah Rashad > Overview". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved April 3, 2014. {{cite web}}: templatestyles stripmarker in |work= at position 1 (help)
  13. ^ Jeffries, David. "Oxymoron – Schoolboy Q > Overview". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved April 3, 2014. {{cite web}}: templatestyles stripmarker in |work= at position 1 (help)
  14. ^ "IndieShuffle Newsitem" Tobias Handke, 'SZA - Child's Play (Ft. Chance The Rapper)', Indieshuffle.com, March 26, 2014.
  15. ^ a b "Boombox newsitem" Trent Fitzgerald, 'SZA Reveals ‘Z’ EP Release Date, Drops ‘Babylon’ Video, Boombox.com, March 9, 2014
  16. ^ "UK R&B chart" Archived entry for the UK R&B chart for April 19, 2014. Accessed May 10, 2014.
  17. ^ a b "Hip-Hop chart April 2014" Andres Tardio, 'Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 04/13/2014' HipHop DX April 16, 2014.
  18. ^ "Billboard News 2014 Erika Ramirez, 'The Juice Podcast: SZA & MoRuf Talk TDE, New Albums, Usher & 2 Chainz', Billboard Magazine, May 9, 2014.
  19. ^ "Redbull April 2014 interview" Aimee Cliff, 'Five things you should know about SZA', Redbull.com, 7 April 2014.
  20. ^ "SZA 'Z' review" Kevin Ritchie, 'Sza "Z" review, Toronto Now (vol 33), April 17-24, 2014
  21. ^ a b "The Guardian NBOD 2013" Paul Lester, 'New Band Of The Day: SZA' The Guardian, March 8, 2013.
  22. ^ a b "Z Album Review" Ben Benjamin, 'SZA: 'Z' Album Review', Neon Tommy, April 10, 2014.
  23. ^ a b Madden, Michael (2014-04-08). "SZA – Z | Album Reviews". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  24. ^ a b "Refinery" Nathan Reese, 'SZA's Unlikely Path To Pop Stardom' Refinery29, October 9, 2013.
  25. ^ a b "Vogue" Chioma Nnadi, 'Why SZA's Huge Natural Hair is Our New Obsession', Vogue, March 27, 2014.
  26. ^ a b "W Magazine" Sarah Leon, 'She’s Just SZA', W Magazine, April 9, 2014.
  27. ^ "Z - Album by SZA". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
  28. ^ Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK". Zobbel.de. Tobias Zywietz. Retrieved April 20, 2014. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  29. ^ "Mixtapes " DJs " NoDJ " Kris Kasanova - 24K Download & Stream". LiveMixtapes. March 12, 2013. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  30. ^ Jeffries, David. "Oxymoron – Schoolboy Q > Overview". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved April 3, 2014. {{cite web}}: templatestyles stripmarker in |work= at position 1 (help)
  31. ^ Meara, Paul (October 9, 2012). "Video: SZA "Country"". Complex. Complex Media. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
  32. ^ "Watch Kris Kasanova's Video For the SZA-Assisted "Tomorrow"". Complex. Complex Media. December 11, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
  33. ^ Ortiz, Edwin (March 7, 2014). "SZA Travels to "Babylon" In New Music Video". Complex. Complex Media. Retrieved April 4, 2014.

External links

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