Every Reason SZA Deserves to Win The Grammy For Album of The Year 2024
John Locher / Invision / Associated Press
Missiles shoot into the sky, and a voice of desperation breaks through. Someone, who is demanding to be heard, arises to orate the tribulations, losses, insight, and joys of her journey. SZA was screaming that she was here and was going to be heard. In the five years since her last album, something had been brewing. Every collaboration project and single release gave insight into the unmistakable pen that was writing.
“SOS” was a late-year release that reigned over music from December 2022 into 2023. A difficult feat considering needing to break through the Christmas season and maintain relevancy into the new year. For SZA, the record-breaking album appeared to come with ease as she collected career milestones. “SOS” comfortably sat in the #1 spot of the Billboard 200 for 10 weeks and would continue to gravitate to the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for the rest of 2023, ending the year at #3. The singles from “SOS” would all chart at #1 or occupy a top 10 slot on the Billboard Hot 100. To say the least, “SOS” was a commercial success and at the most, it was an album that permeated and defined the social consciousness.
Undoubtedly, SZA has remained the dominant artist of the year. Her critical and commercial successes prove that. A high-demand arena tour magnified the fan experience with her album. She kept her fame and artistry propelled by only one album for the entirety of 2023. Capturing visual storytelling, and being unafraid to be provocative or push herself into the spotlight, drew in the praise for her artistry. “SOS,” a long-awaited album, became hailed as a career-defining piece of music.
Cover of SZA’s 2022 Album, ‘SOS’
SZA received nine nominations for the 2024 Grammys; this made her the most nominated person for the upcoming Grammys. Her nominations spanned multiple genre categories including “Best RnB Song,” “Best Melodic Rap Performance,” and “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.” This isn’t the first time SZA has made waves on Grammy night. In 2018, she had been posed as a breakout artist with five nominations, for her debut album “Ctrl,” and a slated performance at the show. However, despite being a predicted front winner, she went home with zero awards. So, now she’s back with a Grammy of her own and an impeccable album that is undeniably a Grammy winner.
Since 2018, SZA stayed on the Recording Academy’s radar with notable nominations as a feature on Kendrick Lamar’s “All the Stars” and a Grammy win for “Kiss Me More” with Doja Cat. Collaboration projects continued to build SZA’s repertoire as she worked with lead artists across genres. The practice of versatility came through on “SOS” with various stylistic shifts employed on the album. It displayed someone looking to compile the aspects of singer, songwriter, and performer into the identity of an artist, a trait that drives the focus of Grammy voters.
Regarding the Grammys, nominees and winners must be understood through what the Recording Academy likes. What the public or even what critics like does not determine nominees or winners. Technically, the Recording Academy does not take into consideration, commercial or critical success. Grammy voters have their own system of deciding which pieces of music deserve to be lauded, including the underlying pieces of music industry politics and Grammy campaigning that inevitably play into Grammy votes. The Recording Academy voters love an artist, a singer-songwriter. They tend to vote along the lines of what sounds like a traditional genre sound. Overproduced albums that appear to lack intentionality in lyricism usually don’t land well with Grammy voters, even if it is a critically acclaimed album. Voters like something that sounds like it was thoughtfully made an investment in the album’s art. They’re looking for musical excellence and in SZA’s case, critics’ evaluations of her album have pointed toward such a label. Jon Caramanica, a music critic for The New York Times, considered “SOS” SZA’s best work. An attribute that he didn’t easily give to her fellow peers nominated in the Big Four categories. Musicians who engage with progressive or genre-bending music don’t always resonate with the Grammys. Still, SZA’s ability to be highly nominated for a second time shows how her interpretation of R’n’B has a place in the changing R’n’B landscape. Maybe the Recording Academy will choose to see such changes as important to the changing landscape of music.
SZA “SOS” is a clear winner in the Grammy’s Album of the Year 2024 category. SZA attained critical and commercial success in a competitive music year. SOS allowed SZA to shine as a multi-dimensional artist who can work with whichever tools are given to her. Her stylistic narratives go beyond just drawing in an audience but propels them to listen attentively. Beyond the praise she’s received, she captured the most critical component of Album of the Year: creating social conversations.
Armondo L. Sanchez /CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE VIA GETTY IMAGES
SZA crafted a lyrical narrative that had a singular voice that evolved for the duration of the album. “SOS” avoids the concept album trap of addressing multiple perspectives that do not tie back to the album’s singular theme. Her musical and lyrical style creates a versatile storyline that fuels the dynamism of the album. The album’s story is curated beyond singles which projects how SZA sought to create a holistic album rather than loosely placed songs that have been forced together. SZA puts forth a character her audience can identify with and emotionally connect to. As more of the character is revealed in each song, listeners are taken on a journey of complicated emotive stories. She doesn’t want the personal to sound like a diary or simply retracing moments. Jon Caramanica noted a spatial intimacy in SZA’s storytelling in which it sounds like SZA is whispering the stories to you. The intimacy of “SOS” invites an audience to stay for the entirety of a lengthy album without losing focus of the album’s purpose.
On her sophomore album, SZA brought everything to the table; she held nothing back. She tells the story of the self with her album, showing the rough and ugly parts with potential for self-love. She beats the insecure allegations by being fully vulnerable. The vulnerability comes through in the subject matter and her willingness to try things that will challenge her as an artist. “SOS” also functions as a psychoanalysis of SZA. She looks in the mirror so her audience doesn’t have to. Her honesty is a shameful reality that some can’t put forth. Range has become key to her personal and musical growth. After five years between albums, SZA came back as a new version of herself. She gave her everything, proclaiming “This is me, SZA, the artist.”