Album Review: SZA’s 15 Best Songs From ‘SOS’

I reviewed 3 songs from the collaborative album review of SZA’s “SOS". Read the whole lisitcle here.

Image courtesy of Top Dawg Entertainment

“SOS”

True to the album's cover, SZA finds herself lost at sea with the title track opener that kicks off with morse code and a gunshot. The perfect introduction to the break-up/revenge album the listener is about to witness. “SOS” inaugurates SZA into the rap game with production by Jay Versace and a wonderful sample flip of Gabriel Hardeman Delegation’s “Until I Found the Lord (My Soul Couldn’t Rest).” True to her Scorpio nature, Top Dawg Entertainment’s leading woman comes in scathing and seeking revenge on the man that broke her heart. Foreshadowing the passionate rage that manifests throughout the rest of the record, the first verse sends a metaphoric S.O.S. signal to listeners, “This ain't no warnin' shot / Case all you hoes forgot.”

“Special”

It may be disheartening for someone as ethereally beautiful as SZA to say the words: “Hate how you look at her 'cause you never saw me / Like I was an art piece, like I was an ordinary girl,” but “Special” reminds the audience that anyone can make you feel insecure. The acoustic track calls back to Ctrl’s “Normal Girl,” in which SZA reminisces on the aspects of herself that she despises. This time, however, the same sentiment feels more like a jab to the stomach because the infidelity of her partner made her feel this way. The songstress makes the listener sympathize with her so much, that it may even push the listener to physically harm her ex.

“Good Days”

“Good Days” explores SZA’s desire to heal. The stark contrast between this song and the previous on the tracklist, “I Hate U,” shows the singer reaching a point of peace. Its magic lies in how she chooses not to forgive — as her cheating partner does not deserve that — but instead opts to heal herself. The naturistic and light instrumentals create a sense of peace, yet throughout the song, the singer still evidently battles her demons. Initially released in 2020 as the album’s first single, the track shares the universal feeling of wishing for a better future, which is evident in its lyrics: “Gotta get right / Tryna free my mind before the end of the world / I don't miss no ex, I don't miss no text / I choose not to respond.”