After five long years, SZA has finally released her sophomore album ‘SOS.’ 

With only a handful of singles and features since the release of her debut album ‘Ctrl’, SZA’s fans, including myself, have been eagerly awaiting the release of her second album. 

Contrary to what I’ve felt with a few albums recently by other artists, the singles released from the album actually are not the best ‘SOS’ has to offer. While I don’t think any song so far from the album has topped “Good Days” for me, there are a few that made me immediately fall in love. I wouldn’t say that SZA’s songs are exactly catchy, but there’s something about her songs that easily draws you in and has you singing even upon first listen. 

While staying true to herself, SZA has taken a few new directions with ‘SOS’. Although she tells the listener “I got your favorite rapper blocked”, possibly regarding her ex, Drake, in the song “Smoking on my Ex Pack”, I think SZA may be my new favorite rapper with the bars she showcased in the song. 

Along with exploring her rapping skills, SZA definitely takes a new direction in the songs “Nobody Gets Me” and “F2F”. Consistently holding an acoustic sound in “Nobody Gets Me”, SZA’s vocals really stand out. With “F2F” I was blown away by the leap taken in the song, the most pop-rock we have ever seen from SZA, upholding the fact that she really can sound good in any genre. 

I loved some of the features in the album, especially with indie singer Phoebe Bridgers in the song “Ghost in the Machine”, along with her second collab with rapper Travis Scott in “Open Arms”. 

I would additionally say that “Snooze”, “Gone Girl”, and “Too Late” are some more of my favorites from the album. 

Focusing more on the lyrics, SZA seems to have grown from some of her insecurities from ‘Ctrl’ and now wrestles more with relationship problems. SZA, while still being as real as ever, is definitely more mature in ‘SOS’. I also loved unhinged SZA in ”Kill Bill” confessing to the listener that she “Just killed my ex/Not the best idea/Killed his girlfriend next”. 

But I think that the album cover of ‘SOS’ can really show what it feels like in SZA’s mind throughout the album, staring out into the horizon, reflecting on life and love.