SOS is Saving My Soul

SZA’s new album ‘SOS’ is a creative and ingenious work of art. Here are my top five from this revolutionary record.

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It has been three months since the groundbreaking discography of 23 angelic and passionate songs titled ‘SOS’ was released by God herself, Solána Imani Rowe, better known as … SZA.

From her first mainstream album, Z, to her most recent, SOS, SZA has consistently created pieces of art that tell a story of emotions.

Although this entire album is impeccably crafted altogether, my top five songs have to be “SOS,” “Blind,” “Snooze,” “Ghost in the Machine,” and “Nobody Gets Me”; we’ll get to the order of those a little bit later.

Throughout the music industry, artists have made it a point that the way in which they organize the order of their songs on an album is entirely intentional and often ties all of the songs perfectly together, so I took this into heavy consideration when I listened to this album for the first time.

The first song of the album is titled SOS. The song opens with a mellow beat and transitions into SZA rapping a combination of lyrics that describe the feelings of finally healing from mistreatment and being hurt while simultaneously expressing hints of confidence and seduction.

This album definitely travels out of SZA’s comfort zone, or rather what the public assumed to be her comfort zone, and “SOS” was definitely one of the songs that proved that.

When I listened to it for the first time, it was not my favorite. After truly taking in the whole album, I’ve realized how incredible it is. 10/10. She did exactly what she was meant to do and even more. The song sums up every emotion I felt throughout the whole album so it was an amazing start that truly carried the whole thing.

Another favorite for me is “Blind.” The chorus of this song was slipped into TikTok a little before the album was released, so the public had an idea of how this song would feel. Little did I know, SZA had incorporated quicker lyrics to a slower beat and paired it with her angelic vocals within the chorus. This song is an incredible piece that I can only describe as my ears and soul being blessed by heaven.

One of her most underrated songs on this album is, without a doubt, “Snooze.” Her vocals are simultaneously so crisp yet so buttery. Come on. How is that even possible? She made it possible somehow. This is one song that contrasts the rest of the album’s vibe of heartbreak with being absolutely head over heels for someone.

“Ghost in the Machine” is another song that seemed out of the ordinary for SZA. I mean, seriously. Who would’ve expected a collaboration from her and Phoebe Bridgers? Let alone it being the utter masterpiece of a song that it is.

The only way I can describe the way this song makes me feel is that as soon as it turns on, I’m suddenly a robot in a dystopian society who must save the world by dancing in the most flirtatious way a robot can.

“Nobody Gets Me” is a song that I could quite literally listen to on repeat for days on end. It unlocks levels of emotions that truly encapsulate how it feels to be in love with someone, but needing to let them go. Knowing it’s not what you need, but simply what you want. Constantly remembering all of the memories, but only the good ones. Remembering how someone made you feel like they completely understood you, while also expressing the fear of never finding that again. Her lyrics exemplify the human experience in such a way that caters to people, mainly women, everywhere.

I would not be able to complete this review without giving an honorable mention to “F2F” and “Special.” “F2F” tapped SZA into her 2009 pop-rock persona and I am absolutely obsessed with it. I just feel like I really only resonate with the chorus rather than the whole song. “Special” is an incredibly relatable song with beautiful vocals, but I can’t get on board with calling myself a loser; that’s just not happening, babe.

Overall, this entire album is beautifully crafted and it truly pains me to rank this album; I was getting chest pains just from deciding my top five. In the end, I must say that my top five, from best to worst, have to be: “SOS,” “Blind,” “Ghost in the Machine,” “Nobody Gets Me” and finally, “Snooze.”

I know this may be controversial. But it had to be said. All I can say now is that I’ll be waiting for the deluxe version.