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"SOS"
Song by SZA
from the album SOS
ReleasedDecember 9, 2022 (2022-12-09)
Genre
Length1:57
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Jay Versace
Lyric video
"SOS" on YouTube

"SOS" is the title track and opening song of SOS (2022), the second studio album by American singer-songwriter SZA.

Background and release

[edit]

SZA released her debut studio album, Ctrl, in 2017. Primarily an R&B album that deals with themes like heartbreak, it received widespread acclaim for SZA's vocals and the eclectic musical style, as well as the emotional impact and confessional nature of its songwriting. The album brought SZA to mainstream fame. Critics credit it with establishing her status as a major figure in contemporary pop and R&B music and pushing the boundaries of the R&B genre.[note 1] Her next studio album was highly anticipated,[8][9] and she alluded to its completion as early as August 2019,[10][11] during an interview with DJ Kerwin Frost.[12]

From April to May 2022, SZA told media outlets that she had recently finished the album in Hawaii and said that it was coming soon.[13] Wanting to experiment with genres she had not yet incorporated in her discography, she envisioned it to be an amalgamation of various disparate musical styles, or in her words, "a little bit of everything". While some tracks were balladic or soft, certain others had an "aggressive" sound. Apart from the "traditional" R&B that had been a staple of SZA's past works, the album also contained prominent elements of hip hop music.[14][15]

On November 8, a video was uploaded to SZA's YouTube account to coincide with her 33rd birthday. She reposted it on social media with the caption: "Happy birthday to me. Clock starts now."[16] The video was a teaser for the upcoming album,[17][18] ending with a cut to black before playing Morse code that translates to "SOS".[19][20] SZA revealed SOS was the album's title during a Billboard cover story published the same month.[21] She posted the track list on Twitter on December 5; SOS was released four days later. Out of 23 songs, one titled "SOS" appears as the title track and opening song.[22][23]

Music and production

[edit]

SZA wanted to include rap as a major element of her second studio album, SOS (2022). The media tended to categorize her as an R&B artist, and she staunchly disagreed with the description. In her view, it was because she was a Black woman, to which she asserted: "I love making Black music, period. Something that is just full of energy. Black music doesn't have to just be R&B [...] Why can't we just be expansive and not reductive?"[24][25]

SOS contains three rap songs—one in the beginning, one in the end, and one in the middle. "Smoking on My Ex Pack" is the rap song in the middle.[26] Built around a chipmunk soul production,[27] it incorporates a looped, sped-up sample[28][29] of "Open Up Your Eyes" (1981) by Webster Lewis[30] alongside hard-hitting drum beats that give it a boom bap musical style.[31] Jay Versace, a record producer and former comedian, produced "Smoking on My Ex Pack".[28]

Versace, whom SZA credits with getting her interested in creating "aggressive" rap music, created the song's beat sometime in 2022. It was three years after the two first met up for the album's recording sessions. Versace was inspired by the boom bap music he had heard from his childhood, many of which reminded him of songs that would play on the car radio during drives with his father. For "Smoking on My Ex Pack", he wanted SZA's take on these childhood songs: "I literally made that for her [...] That was specifically for her."[32]

Versace chose to sample "Open Up Your Eyes" because of his interest in love ballads from the latter half of the 20th century, citing the "really crazy instrumentation in their music". He became hooked with its horns and vocals in particular, so he created the sample in Ableton and formed a beat around it. Once he finished, he sent the audio file to SZA, who started writing the lyrics almost immediately. About the production, she texted him: "Your beats are so easy to write to. Why am I already writing lyrics right now?"[32]

Lyrics

[edit]

SZA said that while creating SOS, she learned that sometimes she could act like a villainous "bitch" and she had to come to terms with this perception of herself. According to her, many songs in the album centered around themes of revenge and "being pissed" to a degree that she had never felt before. She described how these feelings manifested in its tracks: "It is in the way I say no [...] It's in the fucked up things that I don't apologize for."[33][34] Versace encouraged her to "talk her shit" on "Smoking on My Ex Pack",[32] the lyrics to which she wrote to dispel a narrative that she only makes "sad girl music".[35][36] Its initial version was over two minutes long, but SZA scrapped the song's first half because she did not feel confident enough in her rapping skills.[32]

The released version of "Smoking on My Ex Pack" is 1 minute and 23 seconds long.[37] Spin compared its lyrics to blind items, or articles that do not disclose the identity of their subject and are frequently gossip pieces.[38] Braggadocio is a major element of the songwriting.[39] In the song's verse, SZA communicates her desirability to other men[40] and announces "them hoe accusations weak" and "them bitch accusations true". After revealing how she embodies those traits by saying she presents an unfriendly attitude and has sex with men she deems heart throbs, she finds various ways to insult her ex-partners.[28][41]

SZA raps about having "your favorite rapper" blocked on social media, saying she heard a rumor that his "dick was wack". She deliberately ignores many athletes who try to flirt in her messages and insist she text them back; because her lesser side loves "all the cap", SZA refuses to make exceptions for any of the men she does not acknowledge.[26][28][41] Then, she addresses an ex-boyfriend seeking to rekindle their relationship: "He screamin', 'Gеt back together', I'm screamin', 'Back of thе bus, trick!'"[42] SZA compares her former romantic partners to a character from The Simpsons named Sideshow Bob, a conservative TV personality and clown who becomes a criminal as the series progresses:[43]

Got you talkin' crazy
Abracadabra, you niggas Sideshow
I'm Bobbin' like Psycho

Reception

[edit]

After the album's release, the song charted in the United States and Canada, with peaks at numbers 52 and 61, respectively. It peaked at number 23 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 71 on the Billboard Global 200. "Smoking on My Ex Pack" had its live performance debut during the SOS Tour, performed while SZA went backstage for an outfit change, which the stage screen captured.[note 2]


Credits

[edit]

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for "SOS"
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[48] 56
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[49] 45
Global 200 (Billboard)[50] 37
US Billboard Hot 100[51] 32
UK Audio Streaming (OCC)[52] 82
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[53] 13

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Vulture,[1] The Recording Academy,[2] The Line of Best Fit,[3] NME,[4] The Daily Telegraph,[5] The New Yorker,[6] and Consequence[7] cited these qualities as the reason for the success of Ctrl and SZA's impact on the pop and R&B scene.
  2. ^ Cited to Consequence,[44] Billboard,[45] The Boston Globe,[46] and Exclaim!.[47]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Curto, Justin (December 9, 2022). "SZA Finally Unleashed Her Inner Rock Star". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  2. ^ Mitchell, Ashlee (December 13, 2022). "5 Takeaways from SZA's New Album SOS". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  3. ^ Taylor, Ims (December 9, 2022). "SZA Hits the Heights on the Dense but Masterful SOS". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  4. ^ Daly, Rhian (December 9, 2022). "SZA – SOS Review: A Comeback Album Well Worth the Wait". NME. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  5. ^ McCormick, Neil; Haider, Arwa; Johnston, Kathleen (December 9, 2022). "Sam Ryder Is No One-Hit Wonder, SZA Channels Princess Diana – The Week's Best Albums". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  6. ^ Pearce, Sheldon. "SZA: Ctrl (Deluxe)". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  7. ^ Siregar, Cady (December 9, 2022). "On SOS, SZA Once Again Blows Expectations Out of the Water". Consequence. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  8. ^ Lee, Cydney; Lipshutz, Jason; Mamo, Heran; Robinson, Kristin; Unterberger, Andrew (January 4, 2023). "Five Burning Questions: SZA Holds at No. 1 for Third Week with SOS Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  9. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (December 14, 2022). "What Gives SZA Her Edge". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  10. ^ Robinson, Ellie (June 7, 2021). "SZA Reveals She 'Burst Into Tears' During a Rehearsal of '20 Something'". NME. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  11. ^ Alston, Trey (January 3, 2020). "SZA Is Dropping a New Album This Year but When Is Beyond Her Ctrl". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  12. ^ Reese, Alexis (August 20, 2019). "SZA Reveals Sophomore Album Is On the Way". Vibe. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  13. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (April 4, 2022). "SZA Says New Album Is 'Finished' and Describes It as Her 'Most Unisex' Project Yet". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  14. ^ Carmichael, Emma (February 26, 2020). "The Rebirth of SZA". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  15. ^ Blake, Cole (October 16, 2022). "SZA Confirms 'Shirt' Music Video Is on the Way: 'It's Turned In'". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  16. ^ Dionne, Zach (November 9, 2022). "SZA Drops Mysterious 'PSA (Official Teaser)' Video Featuring New Music, Tells Fans 'Clock Starts Now'". Complex. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  17. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (November 9, 2022). "SZA Shares New 'PSA' Teaser Featuring Potential Album Clue". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  18. ^ Arcand, Rob (November 9, 2022). "SZA Shares New 'PSA' Teaser: Watch". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  19. ^ Dailey, Hannah (November 9, 2022). "SZA Teases New Music in NSFW 'PSA' Trailer: Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  20. ^ Krol, Charlotte (November 9, 2022). "SZA Shares Sultry 'PSA' Teaser as Speculation About Album Release Builds". NME. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  21. ^ Serrano, Athena (November 16, 2022). "SZA Is 'Currently Stressed' About Releasing New Album S.O.S.". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  22. ^ Curto, Justin (December 5, 2022). "SZA Puts Fans on Alert, Announces New Album S.O.S". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  23. ^ Paul, Larisha (December 5, 2022). "SZA Taps Phoebe Bridgers, Travis Scott for S.O.S Album". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  24. ^ Paige, Deasia (December 13, 2022). "On SOS, SZA Proves She's One of This Generation's Best Songwriters". Elle. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  25. ^ Blake, Cole (December 12, 2022). "SZA Says She's Tired of Being Labeled an R&B Artist". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  26. ^ a b Wood, Mikael (December 9, 2022). "On the Dazzling SOS, SZA Spares No One, Least of All Herself". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  27. ^ McLean, Wesley (December 13, 2022). "SZA Is Untouchable on the Legacy-Defining SOS". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  28. ^ a b c d Truth, Jerusalem (December 12, 2022). "SZA, 'Smoking on My Ex Pack'". NPR. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  29. ^ Newstead, Al (December 13, 2022). "SZA: Is SOS Worth the Wait or Too Much of a Good Thing?". Triple J. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  30. ^ Callas, Brad (January 28, 2023). "Latto Earns Praise from SZA for New 'Smoking on My Ex Pack' Freestyle". Complex. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  31. ^ Jenkins, Craig (December 12, 2022). "SZA Wants It All". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  32. ^ a b c d Conteh, Mankaprr (December 12, 2022). "How Jay Versace Got SZA to Talk Her Shit on SOS". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  33. ^ Mendez, Marisa (December 19, 2022). "SZA Earns First No. 1 Album as SOS Tops Billboard 200". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  34. ^ Avila, Daniela (January 5, 2023). "SZA Says She's Embracing Her 'Bitch' Era: 'I'm Not a Bubblegum Sweetheart'". People. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  35. ^ Abraham, Mya (December 21, 2022). "SZA Refutes Claims of Only Making 'Sad Girl Music'". Vibe. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  36. ^ Chelosky, Danielle (December 20, 2022). "SZA Used Songs from SOS to Push Back on Claims That She 'Only Makes Sad Girl Music'". Uproxx. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  37. ^ "SOS: SZA". Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records. December 9, 2022. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023 – via Apple Music.
  38. ^ "The 22 Best Albums of 2022". Spin. December 22, 2022. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  39. ^ Hakimian, Rob; McMullen, Chase; Sentz, Tim; Pickard, Joshua; Wohlmacher, John; Finlayson, Ray; Amen, John; Kohner, Kyle; et al. (December 15, 2022). "BPM's Top 50 Albums of 2022". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  40. ^ Wicker, Jewel (December 12, 2022). "SZA Is Trying to Save Herself". Consequence. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  41. ^ a b Frank, Jason P. (December 9, 2022). "SZA Lights Up and Spits Fire in 'Smoking on My Ex Pack'". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  42. ^ Woods, Cat (February 1, 2023). "Shakira & Miley Follow a Long History of Women Exposing Their Cheating Exes Through Music". StyleCaster. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  43. ^ Guy, Zoe (December 9, 2022). "Everything SZA References on SOS (Including Herself)". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  44. ^ Kress, Bryan (February 22, 2023). "SZA Smoothly Sails Through 'SOS Tour' Opener in Columbus, Ohio: Setlist + Video". Consequence. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  45. ^ Graff, Gary (February 25, 2023). "SZA Takes Fans Through Emotional Seaside Journey During SOS Tour Stop in Detroit". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  46. ^ Johnston, Maura (March 1, 2023). "SZA Makes a Strong Connection at the TD Garden". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  47. ^ Hanskamp, Emilie (February 26, 2023). "SZA Brought Theatrics to Toronto — but All She Really Needed Was the Mic". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  48. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 19 December 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1711. Australian Recording Industry Association. December 19, 2022. p. 4.
  49. ^ "SZA Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  50. ^ "SZA Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  51. ^ "SZA Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  52. ^ "Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  53. ^ "SZA Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
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