SZA

SZA, born Solána Imani Rowe on November 8, 1989, is an American singer-songwriter whose 2022 album SOS became the first album by a woman to spend 100 weeks in the Billboard 200’s top ten. The record also set the mark for the longest-running US top-ten album by a Black musician. Known for diaristic writing and music that moves between R&B, soul, pop, hip hop and electronic textures, she has been widely regarded as a major figure in contemporary and alternative R&B.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Rowe first built an online audience through two self-released EPs. She signed with Top Dawg Entertainment in 2013 and released Z the following year, a lo-fi, psychedelic EP. Her debut album, Ctrl, arrived in 2017 and earned critical acclaim, appearing on numerous year-end lists. Its intimate songwriting and elastic approach to R&B helped define the period around its release.

After Ctrl, SZA spent several years on prominent collaborations. Her 2018 single with Kendrick Lamar, “All the Stars,” reached the top ten and received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. In 2021, she joined Doja Cat for “Kiss Me More,” which won SZA her first Grammy Award. Alongside her own recordings, she has co-written songs for Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Travis Scott, Schoolboy Q and Rihanna.

SOS expanded her sound across multiple genres and produced “Kill Bill,” which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the third best-selling song of 2023. The album’s deluxe reissue, Lana, followed in 2024. From 2024 to 2025, SZA scored further top-ten singles with “Saturn” and “30 for 30,” while “Luther” became her longest-running US number-one song. Her 2025 Grand National Tour with Lamar became the highest-grossing co-headlining tour in history.

Her awards include seven Grammy Awards, a Brit Award, three American Music Awards, a Guild of Music Supervisors Award and two Billboard Women in Music awards, including Woman of the Year. In 2024, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented her with the Hal David Starlight Award.