At least once in our lives, we’ll sit with our thoughts in silence with regret, take a U-turn with a sigh after a misleading direction, change our major in college, and lose that one perfect relationship. These are products of feeling lost, signifying a cry for help. Whether you’re lost in wonderland or with the inevitable pain, it is universal to navigate feelings of wrath, self-loathing, and self-reflection. Similarly to SZA’s adaptation to such an experience, her R&B album, “SOS,” was written after the wreckage of her 11-year relationship with her unnamed ex-fiancée. SZA wrote this album with the pursuit of spirituality and to document the raw side of fame after distress, and as a way to characterize her nickname, which coincided with the idea of being a self-savior. Here are four of the 24 tracks from this album that reflect humanity’s greed for escape.
Gone Girl
“Inward I go when there’s no one around me
And memories drown me, the further I go
And ain’t nobody talkin’ ’bout the damage, pretendin’ like it’s all okay
I tried to erase, I live to escape”
In this track, SZA describes herself as a “gone girl,” which encapsulates transformation from a misleading relationship. Here, she explains the frustrating process of denial one envelopes themselves in before such a transformation, placing an emphasis on the idea that such an identity takes patience. An emphasis on suffocation is also displayed throughout the song, on how she feels little to no control to express herself from an almost too perfect relationship, validating the need for boundaries after lack of security and much needed space.
Special
“I wish I was that girl from that Gucci store
She never wore any makeup and she owns couture
I got pimples where my beauty marks should be
I got dry skin on my elbows and knees
I never liked her, wanted to be like her”
The track begins with a soft chime of bells, foreshadowing that this song will be one of morals and harsh truths. Inevitably, SZA captures the intensity of envy and self-loathing after a supposed everlasting relationship. Her repetition of I, explains everything that would make her special, ironic since the things she enumerates are what make her different from everyone else, rather than being unnoticeable when her goal is to be noticed.
Far (Explicit)
“Far, far, like I don’t recognize me
Far, far ’cause I let you define me
I’m far, far ’cause I can’t trust nobody
Far, stay far, it’s so far”
As the beat of the bass continues throughout the song, each soft lyric flows into the next. While the lyrics continue to play into each other, SZA shares a raw exploration of isolation and navigating the emotional burnout that comes from a toxic relationship. Additionally, SZA discusses feeling unrecognizable and constantly trying to recover from being immensely stressed and disturbed by a partner. Through the song, she talks about finally escaping the shackles of a partner who was taking advantage of her and finally being able to discover herself in a new light.
Good Days (Explicit)
“Good day in my mind, safe to take a step out
Get some air now, let your edge out
Too soon, I spoke, you be heavy in my mind
Can you get the heck out?
I need rest now, got me bummed out”
The fast pace of the R&B song shares a story of the importance of focusing on mental health and letting go of past relationships that once tore you down. Additionally, there is an emphasis put on focusing on the present and maintaining optimism, with a sense of reality on the outlook of life’s difficulties. SZA also puts a great emphasis on the importance of moving forward from past relationships and not dwelling on regret because the only thing it can do is bring you down instead of up. If our emotions after dealing with a horrible breakup are not treated, they will eventually hold us back and prevent us from moving on and finding someone better.
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Whether it be a missed turn, or constantly messing up an easy task, or finally leaving a difficult relationship, the feeling of loss and pain that we all naturally face constantly is nothing easy to deal with, and it takes time, effort, and reflection to get through. These are all feelings that SZA expresses throughout her album and gives someone to relate to. Although it may be incredibly difficult to get out of the dark place that can be created from a variety of factors, by focusing on taking care of ourselves, there is an escape from the darkness and a path towards light.
