The new sound of R&B; SZA’s musical style and influence
I was shuffling through my chilled R&B playlist when I first heard a SZA song. The song was Sweet November and I heard the track on a December night. The song sampled an old song from the 70s.
The instance I heard the sample of Marvin Gaye’s dreamy instrumental 1971 track Mandota, I immediately tried to hear where the song would lead and that if it would do justice to such a risky sample. I’m that kind of person who is very critical of sampling. I think that sampling should be done aesthetically and that it should serve a great purpose to the song not just using the sample to exploit the original sound a la Pitbull in Feel this Moment.
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SZA’s Sweet November is one of those songs that made use of a sample the best way possible. The sample has this seductive guitar flair that is moved forward by SZA’s sultry vocals that has a tint of sadness to it. The song itself is quite poignant having an underlying message on contemplating suicide. SZA’s songwriting is one of the best that this generation of musicians can have.
SZA’s name is pronounced as Sizza, like RZA and GZA. She is fairly new in the music industry having only recently signed on to Top Dawg Entertainment in 2013. She is one of the six artists that include Kendrick Lamar and Isaiah Rashad that are signed in the label.
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Her sound is described as a mixture of alternative R&B, (or Hipster R&B as most people would like to call it) and neo-soul. Her sound is also noted for taking influences from a variety of genres that include hip-hop, cloud rap, and chill wave. SZA grew up listening to classic and avant garde jazz such as Billie Holiday and John Coltrane. She has also cited Bjork as her biggest musical influence.
SZA has only released three EP’s and will be releasing a full length album this year. Her first EP is called See SZA Run (2012) and the rest are part of a trilogy of releases that start with the initials of her name. S (2013), Z (2014), and an upcoming full length album A (2016)
Her sound, as dreamy and alluring as her voice, is considered by many critics as “unraveling”, especially when it comes to her lyrics. Her songs always revolve around themes of sexuality, nostalgia, and abandonment.
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In 2014, SZA co-wrote a dub-inspired song called Consideration which is featured in Rihanna’s latest album Anti. The song is probably one of my favorite duets in 2016. Rihanna with her amazingly heavy Barbadian accent driving a very confident flow while SZA gives an otherworldly vocals that bob and weave around the beat. SZA is surely one of the best new musical talent of this decade, with her unique sound making way for a greater influence in the future.
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