SZA facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
SZA
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SZA in 2024
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Solána Imani Rowe
November 8, 1989 |
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| Years active | 2011–present |
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Works
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| Awards | Full list |
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| Origin | Maplewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
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Solána Imani Rowe (born November 8, 1989), known professionally as SZA (
i/ˈsɪzə/ SIZ-ə), is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She first became known for her self-released EPs, See.SZA.Run (2012) and S (2013). These EPs helped her become the first female artist to sign with Top Dawg Entertainment. Her third EP, Z (2014), was her first project released to digital stores. It reached the top ten on the U.S. Independent Albums chart.
After signing with RCA Records, SZA released her first studio album, Ctrl (2017). This album was very successful with critics and fans. It received four Grammy Award nominations. It also became one of the longest-charting R&B albums by a female artist on the Billboard 200. The next year, SZA was nominated for Golden Globe and Academy Awards for her song "All the Stars" with Kendrick Lamar. This song was a top-ten hit in the U.S. and UK.
Her song "Kiss Me More" with Doja Cat set a record. It was the longest-running all-female collaboration in the U.S. top ten. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. SZA's second album, SOS (2022), was number one on the Billboard 200 for ten weeks. It also broke the record for the most streams for an R&B album in the U.S. The album had six singles, including top-ten songs like "Good Days" and "Snooze". SZA got her first number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Kill Bill" in 2023. She then had a second number-one hit that year with her part on Drake's "Slime You Out". In December 2024, SZA released a new version of SOS called Lana. She also started acting in the film One of Them Days (2025).
SZA has won many awards. These include four Grammy Awards, a Brit Award, and an American Music Award. She also won two Billboard Women in Music awards, including Woman of the Year. As a songwriter, she has helped write songs for artists like Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, and Rihanna. In 2024, she received the Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Solána Imani Rowe was born on November 8, 1989. She grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey. Her father was a producer at CNN, and her mother worked at AT&T. Solána has an older half-sister named Panya Jamila. Her mother is Christian and her father is Muslim. She was raised as a Muslim and still follows Islam.
She went to a Muslim prep school every day after her regular school. Her father asked her to wear a hijab. After the September 11 attacks, Solána faced bullying in 7th grade. This led her to stop wearing her hijab. She attended Columbia High School. There, she was active in sports like gymnastics and cheerleading.
After high school in 2008, Solána went to three different colleges. She finally chose Delaware State University to study marine biology. She left college in her last semester and took on various jobs.
Solána created her stage name, SZA, from the Supreme Alphabet. She was inspired by rapper RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan. The last two letters in her name stand for Zig-Zag and Allah. The first letter S can mean savior or sovereign.
Career Highlights
Early Music and First EPs (2011–2014)
SZA first met members of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2011. This was during a music event where Kendrick Lamar was performing. Her boyfriend's clothing company sponsored the show. SZA's early music was given to TDE president Terrence "Punch" Henderson. He was impressed by her songs. They stayed in touch.
After SZA's first two EPs gained attention, TDE signed her in 2013. She became the label's first female artist. SZA's early songs were recorded with friends. They used beats they found online. On October 29, 2012, SZA released her first EP, See.SZA.Run.
On April 10, 2013, SZA released her second EP, S. Music critics gave it good reviews. SZA promoted the EP with a music video for "Ice Moon". On July 14, 2013, Top Dawg officially signed SZA. In October 2013, SZA toured with the band Little Dragon.
In December 2013, SZA released "Teen Spirit". A remix with rapper 50 Cent followed, along with a music video. In 2014, SZA was featured on songs by her label-mates. This included tracks for Isaiah Rashad and Schoolboy Q.
On March 26, 2014, she released "Child's Play" with Chance the Rapper. Her EP, Z, came out on April 8, 2014. The main song, "Babylon", also had a music video. To promote Z, SZA performed at the SXSW Music Festival. Z reached number thirty-two on the R&B Charts in the UK. It also debuted at number thirty-nine on the US Billboard 200.
Ctrl and Big Success (2015–2018)
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While working on her first album, Ctrl, SZA wrote songs for other artists. These included Beyoncé and Rihanna. SZA co-wrote "Consideration" for Rihanna's album Anti (2016). SZA also sang on the track and performed it live with Rihanna.
In January 2017, SZA released "Drew Barrymore". This was the first song from her album Ctrl. On April 28, 2017, SZA signed with RCA Records. On June 9, 2017, SZA released her first album, Ctrl. Critics loved it, giving it a score of 86 out of 100 on Metacritic.
Ctrl debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200. It sold 125,000 units in its first week. The album had popular singles like "Love Galore", which reached the Top 40. Time magazine named Ctrl the best album of 2017.
From August 2017 to February 2018, SZA toured North America and Oceania. She had over fifty shows. SZA also opened for Bryson Tiller's "Set It Off Tour" in Europe.
In August 2017, SZA worked with Maroon 5 on their song "What Lovers Do". This song reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was SZA's first top-ten hit as a featured artist. The next month, SZA released "Quicksand" for the HBO show Insecure. She also featured on a remix of Lorde's "Homemade Dynamite".
On November 28, 2017, SZA received five Grammy nominations. This included one for Best New Artist. She had the most nominations of any female artist that year.
In January 2018, SZA and Kendrick Lamar released "All the Stars". This song was for the Black Panther movie soundtrack. It reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. SZA also worked with Cardi B on the song "I Do".
Collaborations and SOS (2019–2023)
In May 2019, SZA was featured on DJ Khaled's album, Father of Asahd, on the song "Just Us". A music video for the song was also released. In February 2020, SZA and Justin Timberlake released "The Other Side" for the Trolls World Tour soundtrack.
SZA performed in a benefit concert for New Jersey on April 22, 2020. This concert supported the state's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The money raised went to the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund.
On September 4, 2020, SZA released "Hit Different" with Ty Dolla Sign. On December 25, she released "Good Days" on streaming platforms. This song had background vocals from Jacob Collier. "Good Days" reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.
SZA was featured on the Doja Cat song "Kiss Me More" in April 2021. It became a number-one hit in New Zealand. It also reached the Top 40 in many other countries. The song's music video came out on the same day. Later that year, SZA covered "The Anonymous Ones" for the Dear Evan Hansen movie soundtrack.
In December, SZA released "I Hate U". This song became popular on TikTok. It was first released on SoundCloud in August 2021. After the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, SZA confirmed her second album was finished.
On June 9, 2022, SZA released a deluxe version of Ctrl. It celebrated the album's five-year anniversary. It included seven new songs. On October 28, 2022, she released "Shirt" with a music video starring LaKeith Stanfield. This song was teased earlier and became popular on TikTok.
On her 33rd birthday, November 8, 2022, SZA released a teaser called "PSA". The video ended with morse code for "S.O.S.". This hinted at a new project. On November 16, 2022, Billboard confirmed her second album was titled SOS. It was set for a December release.
After performing on Saturday Night Live, SZA announced SOS would be released on December 9, 2022. The album was number one on the Billboard 200 for seven weeks. It became the longest-running number-one album by a female artist of the decade. To promote the album, SZA went on the SOS Tour in 2023 and 2024. The tour had 63 shows across North America, Europe, and Oceania.
Recent Work and Acting Debut (2024–Present)
Elmo called SZA an "honorary muppet" during an episode of Sesame Street. This episode will be released in 2025.
On November 22, 2024, Kendrick Lamar released his album GNX. SZA was featured on two songs, "Luther" and "Gloria". On November 25, 2024, SZA announced a new album would be released by the end of the year. She also mentioned having "projects in development" in an interview. She made her acting debut in the film One of Them Days (2025) with Keke Palmer.
Musical Influences
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Growing up, SZA's family introduced her to many types of music. Her mother liked R&B and church music. Her father enjoyed jazz and funk artists like Miles Davis and Billie Holiday. Her sister listened to rap and hip hop artists like Tupac Shakur.
SZA listens to Ella Fitzgerald for vocal inspiration. She has said that Lauryn Hill is a big personal influence. SZA also admires singer Ashanti, calling her a major inspiration since childhood.
Other artists SZA mentions as inspirations include Meelah, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Macy Gray, Common, Björk, and many Wu-Tang Clan members.
SZA's songs often use "layers of sliced, delayed, and reversed vocals." Her singing style has been described as having the "lilt" of a jazz singer. SZA is known as TDE's first female artist and first singer.
Style and Fashion
SZA has said she is inspired by creating art in general, not just music. She looks up to people who are not "typical artists." This includes her favorite gymnasts, ice-skaters, and film directors like Spike Lee.
In an interview, SZA talked about her style influences. She said many ideas come from movies, especially Wes Anderson films. She likes his use of colors and would love to dress like characters from Moonrise Kingdom or The Life Aquatic.
SZA's look has been compared to neo-soul artists like Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. Her hair became a topic of interest early in her career. She discussed it in interviews with Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. When she performs, SZA often wears "free-flowing" clothes that are easy to move in. She also wears pajamas or baggy clothing onstage.
Discography
Studio Albums
- Ctrl (2017)
- SOS (2022) (reissued in 2024 as Lana)
Filmography
- One of Them Days (2025)
Tours
Headlining Tours
- Ctrl the Tour (2017–2018)
- SOS Tour (2023–2024)
Co-headlining Tours
- The Championship Tour (with Top Dawg Entertainment artists) (2018)
- Grand National Tour (with Kendrick Lamar) (2025)
Supporting Tours
- Coldplay – Ghost Stories Tour (2014)
- Jhené Aiko – Enter the Void Tour (2014)
- Jessie J – Sweet Talker Tour (2015)
- Bryson Tiller – Set It Off Tour (2017)
Awards and Nominations
SZA has won many awards in her career. She has four Grammy Awards. She also received a Golden Globe nomination and an Academy Award nomination. She has won one American Music Award, six Billboard Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, and six BET Awards. These BET Awards include Best New Artist in 2018 and Album of the Year in 2023.
She received the "Rulebreaker Award" in 2018 and "Woman of the Year" in 2022 at the Billboard Women in Music event. SZA also won the Soul Train Music Award for Best New Artist in 2017.
In September 2022, SZA was recognized on the TIME 100 Next List as a rising star. At the 2022 Grammy Awards, SZA won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Doja Cat for their song "Kiss Me More". In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine ranked SZA at number 180 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
See also
In Spanish: SZA para niños
- Top Dawg Entertainment discography
