SZA: SOS Deluxe - Lana
It’s a new year and it’s good to be back with a long awaited review.
I’ve been sitting and mulling over this album since it came out and let me just be honest from the start - I wasn’t excited about it, I felt slightly underwhelmed, so I sat. I sat with it and listened in various ways - while I was running errands, while I meditated, while I baked/cooked etc. as I wanted to give it a fair review and also unless an album is absolutely mind blowing, I need a while.
SOS came out in 2022, which is crazy when you think about it and two years later we were given LANA. SOS for me was a solid album and while there were some skips, I truly enjoyed and run back to it regularly when I need a lil SZA injection that isn’t the nostalgia of CTRL. SOS on it’s own starts off strong - the hip hop influences were strong with songs like SOS, Smoking on my ex pack and ending with Forgiveless featuring the legendary ODB. When Solana gets into her singer/rap bag, it’s truly sensational and she gave us a little more of that flavour with 30 for 30 ft Kendrick Lamar (always a phenomenal duo). It’s defintinetly one of my favourite songs on the deluxe album, there are too many lines to shout in the club, for instance:
“ Only want your love is it’s soliddddddddd”
“I swear I’d be at peace if it weren’t for you”
“You Fckin’ with N*gga that’s thinking they cuter than you, oh"
Kendrick said get it together TODAY!
Another theme we have is more of a emo vibe with certain songs such as Scorsese Baby Daddy, which can link in nicely with Nobody Gets Me. Neow! I love a lil black girl emo moment personally. Growing up with artists such as Avril Lavigne and Paramore - yeah run it uppppp.
But let’s bring it back to the main source of SZA’s genre which is r’n’b. There are plenty of new editions in LANA and some nice sampling used, such as Crush on You by Lil Kim ft Lil Cease on What Do I do and takes from various songs to create Chill Baby such as the flow from Get it together by 702 and the little break beat taken from These Words by Natasha Bedingfield. Some may say that sampling is lazy, because there was a massive surge in it at one point and it made us ask , “Can the producers… produce?”. However, if the sample isn’t overkill and is used in a clever way, then magic can be made, which is what I can hear here.
Love Me 4 Me - again the epitome of a good r’n’b song and the switch up in the middle and towards the end was such a nice touch and kinda reminded me of a The internet vibe - truly sensational.
These songs could easily fit in amongst other songs on the original album such as Snooze (HAVE YOU HEARD THIS IN A DANCE?! HAS ME BY THE NECK), Used ft Don Toliver and Far.
From Crybaby to Another life, we’re back in Solana’s emo vibe but it’s more toned down which is nice and gives more of a folk sound if I’m honest. Kitchen is one of my absolute faves and I wish she would play a lot more with layering her vocals to create a much more atmospheric sound (my only note for miss girl).
It wouldn’t be a good deluxe album if we didn't get that self reflecting type song and she delivered with Drive. Just her and the guitar. I’m always ready to hear this from her and I’m very happy that she has stuck to this. I’d love an album or project with just all of these songs together (I’d probably be a puddle on the floor), but these songs are just so good, slightly soul cleansing. LOVE. Also, Ben Stiller in the video - simple and effective.
SOS on it’s own is a good and solid project, however with LANA on top it adds another layer and more texture to the whole theme and storytelling. Stand out songs such as Blind, Love language, Gone Girl, Good Days, I Hate U (not a stand out for me - but they ran it up on the clock app), Kill Bill as well. SOS had a lot more commercial value due to certain songs going viral, whereas LANA gives us CRTL SZA and I’m here for it.
All in all - another classic from our good sis Solana!
Rating: 4/5
Top songs:
No More Hiding
30 for 30
Love me 4 me
Chill Baby
Kitchen
Drive
Blind
Snooze
Smoking on my Ex pack
Far
Good Days
Forgiveless
Gone girl