From Ctrl to Period, A Changing of Musical Eras

A Deep Dive Into SZA’s New and Past Music

"SZA" by DeShaun Craddock is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Every artist goes through a musical transformation or a transition between eras. This shift was seen with Tyler, the Creator’s controversial Bastard mixtape to a more mature, experimental album for Call Me If You Get Lost and with Billie Eilish’s most recent albums, both contrasting between light and dark themes. Every artist changes their tune as they grow and mature, and it was only a matter of time until SZA shifted eras. 

On Aug. 22, 2021, SZA tweeted a link to a SoundCloud account titled ".". Above the link, SZA wrote "dumping my random thoughts". Within the SoundCloud account were three new songs issued by SZA's new moniker with titles of the songs showcasing what could have been raw audio files like "09 I Hate You - RB MIX 082221" and "21 Joni - RB ConA 08222". These are the first "singles" released by SZA since her immensely popular 2020 single "Good Days". The songs not only showcase SZA's ability to deliver music that makes one's ears feel like they are floating, but can unveil her growth as a musical artist. 

Through these new songs, it is evident that SZA's musical abilities evolved from where she last left fans. SZA has always been excellent at creating stunning variations to her one-of-a-kind voice; these new songs elevated what was previously thought of SZA's ability to control her voice and flipped them on its head. With such rich variations to her texture and tones of her voice contrasting with different tempos, it seems as if SZA has started to master her voice. It is essential to acknowledge the musical and lyrical depth these new singles include. The new singles demonstrate SZA's true thought process, not only because the Soundcloud bio of the account is "Dump" but with the raw lyrics and musical production. 

This is nothing new for SZA. However, these new songs are different from others. The pieces portray SZA's thoughts while at the same time being impersonal and disconnected. SZA's tonal voice sounds as if it is distant from the listener's ear and is only supported by the mysterious nature of the overall experience of the songs. The mystery of the entire Soundcloud account, names of tracks and even the uncertainty of the ways make the listeners feel as if they have entered into a private experience--SZA personal diary. With this new music, it is essential to look back at her album Ctrl and the importance of challenging the idea to control visually and musically. 

During an interview with “The Breakfast Club” back in 2017, SZA discussed her new album and her past and present relationships. In the interview, SZA explained how she has lacked control her whole life and has always wanted it, but recently, she doesn't desire to obtain it. She said, "There's no such thing as control anyway. It's just a concept, a word, a fantasy. But if you focus on the way you feel in the now and what you do with the now, I feel like it leads to having true control in the future". SZA's 2017 debut studio album Ctrl challenges the desire to be in control in challenging situations while at the same time concluding that it is okay not to be. 

Before diving into the musical portion of the SZA album, it is essential to emphasize the visual importance because it plays a significant role in the album's underlying theme. Ctrl utilizes the theme of disconnecting from control in an unorthodox manner. The album Ctrl is named after the computer key of the same name. On the album cover, SZA can be seen sitting confidently in front of a pile of old computers. The deeper meaning is hidden behind this exact simplicity, which could be seen as nothing out of the ordinary. SZA, both socially and physically, uncouples herself from 'control', but in this case, it is 'ctrl' the computer keyboard command. 

Through a deliberate manner, SZA can emulate the idea of disassociating oneself with the notion of control before the listener even presses play. But, SZA's gravitating control theory doesn't stop there. 

In the opening track, "Supermodel," the listeners' first sound is a static voice that sounds like an older woman. The woman describes her idea of control and how it would be fatal if she lost it or never had it. This woman is SZA's mother, a promenade and influential figure in her life, and throughout the album, listeners hear snippets of a call between SZA and her mother. At the end of the track "Dover in the Wind," SZA's mother explains her challenge with control, the same challenge SZA has. "I said it can be scary, it can also be a little bit comforting. Because I've learned that when I get to that point, and I can acknowledge, 'Okay, Audrey, that's as much as you can do,' I can actually let it go". 

A small additive to the album turns out to be far more than just a phone call between SZA and her mother. Her mother, although older, is having the same problem as SZA, trying to figure out what is control and their placement in it. The phone call makes the album far more personal as it draws the listeners even further into the SZA's world and creates a comfortable atmosphere. 

SZA's specialty through this album is her voice and lyricism. Her voice is undeniably unique, with her utilization of different melodies throughout almost all of her songs. This album flawlessly distinguishes SZA as an artist who can utilize their voice in different tonal chords to convey a specific emotion. Simultaneously, the album's lyricism portrays deep-rooted meanings to each line while sounding like freestyle thoughts. These lyrics that sound as if they are freestyling thoughts, although well calculated, make the album seem purer—forcing the album to appear as a diary of SZA's deep and personal reflections. 

Ctrl is more of an emotional experience rather than a piece of music. It makes the listeners rethink their outlook on control and allows them to step into the ideas of SZA's mind. So, what is in store for SZA and her music? The answer is not known but, what is certain is that SZA's true potential is in full bloom.