Celebrity News
With all the accomplishments the R&B artist racked up in 2023, it's clear the year is coming up SZA. On the heels of announcing she'll be hitting us with a deluxe version of her runaway hit SOS, the release of a visual and a Justin Bieber-coded remix for the fan favorite single "Snooze," and the duet with the rap game's favorite Certified Loverboy, SZA is gifting Rolling Stone with her presence in a recent cover story penned by writer Mankaprr Conteh.
Known for the raw vulnerability of her lyrics and going there with her songwriting in ways many artists would shy away from, SZA's pen game is unmatched, but it's also made her the center of 'low vibrational energy' think pieces that feel SZA's brand of wearing her heart on her sleeve for listeners to keep on repeat is problematic.
That plus, the clear-as-day struggles that the 33-year-old "Kill Bill" singer navigated as her physical appearance has made dramatic shifts over the years makes her liable to catch strays when the subject of insecurity comes to the forefront. In the cover story, Mankaprr writes, "It took SZA a long time to feel beautiful."
Her ability to be honest about high highs and low lows, the moments of self-preservation versus the moments of self-destruction that are bound to pop up on anyone's self-love journey is what makes tracks like "Garden (Say It Like Dat)" hit and especially songs like the previously shout-out "Snooze." The road to self-love might be paved with good intentions but that doesn't mean every part of that journey is going to be met with seamless effortless confidence.
Everyone has those moments, but SZA adamantly rebukes the idea that her brand is "insecurity," calling it a "good old misconception" in the Rolling Stone cover story.
Instead, SZA is a proponent of radical truths, especially with herself about herself. However, that doesn't mean she won't throw hands if she gets a whiff of someone treating her with disrespect.
"People be like, 'Insecurity is her brand.' It's like, 'No, bitch, I'm honest with how I feel about myself, but if I catch you saying that, it's going to be different. I'll still beat your ass over disrespecting me."
To be clear, SZA will slap a bitch.
And regarding those Drake rumors? SZA says there's not much to write home about despite what was alluded to by Drake in the 21 Savage song, "Mr. Right Now." In his verse, Drake references SZA, rapping, "Yeah, said she wanna f*ck to some SZA, wait, / Cause I used to date SZA back in ’08 / If you cool with it, baby, she can still play.”
After the Canadian rapper let it be known that he and SZA used to be a thing back in the day, SZA confirmed the past romance in October 2020. She clarified that they actually dated in 2009 to concerned fans who thought she might have been underaged at the time, which Drake rapped was in 2008.
"I hate being a long-term bitch," SZA told Rolling Stone. And when defining the relationship she had with Drake way back when, she referred to it as being "childish" since they "were really young" at the time.
SZA continued, "It wasn't hot and heavy or anything. It was like youth vibes. It was so childish."
Their names recirculated in the news recently when the 36-year-old rapper dropped the "Slime You Out" collaboration he did with the "Shirt" songstress, which funnily enough was an invitation to collab that Drake extended on the phone with SZA while her interview for the cover story was being conducted.
Read the story in full here.
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