SOS
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LP / Format
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CRITIC REVIEWS
100
The US star's first album in five years – and her last ever, she says – is sprawling, superb and rarely puts a foot wrong.
100
The drought may be over, but SZA left no crumbs.
100
A great leap forward from now indisputable pop superstar.
100
It may have been five years in the making, but SOS is well worth the wait.
93
Ctrl showed that SZA, aka Solána Imani Rowe, was not someone who was to be confined by genre, and SOS doesn’t disappoint in this regard.
6mo
90
It's an advancement from Ctrl in every respect apart from cohesion, a feature purposefully disregarded by SZA and main songwriting/production collaborators Rob Bisel and Carter Lang.
90
Five years since her triumphant debut ‘Ctrl’ signalled a turning point in alternative R&B, the singer returns with a boundary-pushing second album that both reimagines her lo-fi roots and fearlessly ventures into new territory.
90
In an era where bloated albums built to inflate streams are increasingly frequent, SZA has delivered a 23-track masterwork on which nearly every song fits, each individual piece made with purpose and feeling.
90
SZA’s widely anticipated sophomore record SOS delivers on all fronts. Her honest lyricism, vocal work, collaborations and genre versatility keep the tracks fresh and make each an individual step forward in her artistry.
88
SOS gives a glimpse into SZA’s life for the last five years and it re-establishes her as the most natural voice of a generation desperately needing a spokesperson.
87
SZA’s long, ambitious, luxurious new album solidifies her position as a generational talent, an artist who translates her innermost feelings into indelible moments.
80
This is an album about growth, however messy and non-linear it may be. Finally prized from the hands of a perfectionist, you’d hope going forward, ‘SOS’ vindicates and releases it’s creator from the burden of expectation.
80
Revenge is the bedrock of SZA’s second album – she’s out for blood, and ex-boyfriends are the target. It’s a formula that’s been done over and over again, but in the hands of the chameleonic 33-year-old musician, the results are intoxicating and addictive.
80
SZA goes the distance on SOS.
80
SOS isn’t likely to disrupt any pre-planned ‘Best of 2022’ lists, but within its 23 tracks, there’s bound to be tracks that resonate with listeners. With her sense of humor, vulnerability, and ability to craft purposeful and monumental songs, SZA is one of the most down-to-earth musicians today.
80
The US star’s follow-up to her groundbreaking debut ranges wildly, from pop-punk to traces of Radiohead and a Phoebe Bridgers feature. You’d give it a trim were the quality not so unerringly high.
80
Locating a middle ground between assuredness and fragility, a sweet spot of purified authenticity, is a line SZA regularly straddles on her sophomore effort, SOS, an unwieldy, unruly, and, at times, deeply beautiful album.
80
R&B superstar delivers sharp barbs and juicy revelations on her long-awaited sophomore LP.
80
Did SOS need to be 23 tracks long? Not really. However it doesn’t feel like SZA is trying to make the blueprint for the album arc – she’s making a SZA album, no one else's.
80
SZA has proven that her strength as an artist lies in her sharp writing and the blending of genres to build her own unique sound world.
80
Emotional heft, piercingly astute lyrics and a versatile delivery mark a triumphant return that comes with lush production, some A-list guests and wild mood swings.
70
With the enormous growth of her fanbase over the five year hiatus, SOS serves to please every member of this cult, experimenting with today's trending sounds regardless of genre but ingraining her SZA flair on each cut regardless.
60
Two years ago she threatened to do “a dump” of unreleased tracks; although SOS is not that, it treads a fine line between swashbuckling versatility and a lack of cohesion.
60
As it stands, S.O.S. shows that if SZA were to separate her expression as an artist and her output as a pop entertainer, she would be more than capable of an album deserving of all the hyperbolic acclaim this album is currently receiving.
2mo
This is like playing the automated "SZA Radio" playlist on Spotify
Not much special, but nothing bad. Just serviceable and commercial R&B
SZA is an amazing singer as always, and these songs are sensual and sweet as expected. My issue is the songwriting is so all over the place and at many times extremely uninspiring. It’s a mixed bag for me
In 2017, SZA took over over the world with her debut record Ctrl, an album where she explored her insecurities and talked about vulnerability, love, growth, and the infinite search for self-understanding. Though proper recognition from the Recording Academy would only come four years later — when she won a Grammy for her collaboration with Doja Cat on Kiss Me More — , Ctrl was a massive commercial success ever since it dropped, reaching #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and being ... read more
Favorite Tracks: SOS, Low, Smoking On My Ex Pack, F2F, Open Arms, I Hate U, Good Days
Worst Track: Special
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Track List
| 1 | SOS 1:57 | 76 |
| 2 | Kill Bill 2:33 | 87 |
| 3 | Seek & Destroy 3:23 | 81 |
| 4 | Low 3:01 | 81 |
| 5 | Love Language 3:03 | 77 |
| 6 | Blind 2:30 | 84 |
| 7 | Used 2:26 feat. Don Toliver | 77 |
| 8 | Snooze 3:21 | 82 |
| 9 | Notice Me 2:40 | 75 |
| 10 | Gone Girl 4:04 | 83 |
| 11 | Smoking on My Ex Pack 1:23 | 72 |
| 12 | Ghost in the Machine 3:38 feat. Phoebe Bridgers | 86 |
| 13 | F2F 3:05 | 76 |
| 14 | Nobody Gets Me 3:00 | 82 |
| 15 | Conceited 2:31 | 70 |
| 16 | Special 2:38 | 76 |
| 17 | Too Late 2:44 | 75 |
| 18 | Far 3:00 | 76 |
| 19 | Shirt 3:01 | 82 |
| 20 | Open Arms 3:59 feat. Travis Scott | 83 |
| 21 | I Hate U 2:53 | 80 |
| 22 | Good Days 4:38 | 91 |
| 23 | Forgiveless 2:21 feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard | 80 |
Total Length: 1 hour, 8 minutes
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2w
if wwafawdwg was top 30 this should’ve been too. the album is 2 years old with no active singles and is STILL top 10
Added on: November 8, 2022