SZA

SZA, born Solána Imani Rowe on November 8, 1989, is an American singer-songwriter whose diaristic writing and fluid approach to R&B have made her a central name in alternative R&B. Born in St. Louis and raised in Maplewood, New Jersey, she began by releasing music independently online, issuing the EPs See.SZA.Run in 2012 and S the following year.

She signed with Top Dawg Entertainment in 2013, becoming the label’s first female artist. Her first release for the label, 2014’s Z, brought a lo-fi, psychedelic edge to her early work. SZA followed it with her 2017 debut album Ctrl, an R&B record that was widely acclaimed and appeared on several year-end lists. The album included collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, James Fauntleroy, and Isaiah Rashad, while songs including “The Weekend,” “Supermodel,” and “Love Galore” helped earn her five Grammy nominations in 2018.

After Ctrl, SZA spent several years on major collaborations. Her 2018 single with Kendrick Lamar, “All the Stars,” from Black Panther: The Album, reached the Billboard top ten and received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. In 2021, she joined Doja Cat for “Kiss Me More,” which won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, giving SZA her first Grammy Award. Alongside her own work, she has co-written songs for Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Travis Scott, ScHoolboy Q, and Rihanna.

Her second album, SOS, arrived in 2022 after the releases of “Good Days,” “I Hate U,” and “Shirt.” The record moved between R&B, pop, hip-hop, and other styles, and became the first album by a woman to spend 100 weeks in the Billboard 200 top ten. It also set the record for the longest-running US top-ten album by a Black musician. Its single “Kill Bill” topped the Billboard Hot 100 and was the third best-selling song of 2023. The deluxe reissue Lana followed in 2024, producing the top-ten singles “Saturn” and “30 for 30,” as well as “Luther,” her longest-running US number-one song. In 2024, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented her with the Hal David Starlight Award. Her 2025 Grand National Tour with Lamar became the highest-grossing co-headlining tour in history.