The Best of SOS

   On December 9, 2022, SZA dropped her newest album, SOS. Since that day, the album has been a hit, leading Billboard’s 200 Chart as Top Album for ten consecutive weeks, so naturally, I ranked my top nine favorite songs on SOS.

SZA+performing+during+the+Ctrl+tour.+Photo+courtesy+of+Wikimedia+Commons.

Photo by The Come Up Show

SZA performing during the Ctrl tour. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

 

  1. Good Days: This was the song I played most during 2020 so obviously must I rank this first. The melody in this song makes me feel like a butterfly. Complex harmonies can actually be found within this song. The way that SZA combines her dreamlike vocals with repeated guitar tings is hypnotizing. The lyrics are even more beautiful than the song itself. Two lines are; “Tryna make sense of loose change got me a war in my mind,” and “Gotta let go of weight can’t keep what’s holding me”. In these lyrics, SZA is trying to express the positive attitude she maintains throughout her life troubles. I think this song applies to many people and contains so much meaningful symbolism.
  2. Kill Bill: Call me a bandwagon, but this song deserves number two. This is the most popular song on the album and has more than 540 million streams on Spotify alone. The title is a play on the Quentin Tarantino film, Kill Bill. However, this version puts SZA in The Bride’s place and her ex-lover in Bill’s. The lyrics “I might kill my ex, I still love him though, rather be in jail than alone,” express her frustration about her losing control over the relationship. This song is clearly symbolic but has still fueled the romantic angst of many teenage girls. Top-tier song, no questions asked.
  3. Seek & Destroy: In this song, the lyrics talk about SZA’s past boyfriend and how far he pushed her, causing her to make some bad decisions. I do not have any specific attachment to this song or the lyrics. She always delivers musical blessings, but this one just really itches my brain. This song is so dreamy and uses interesting instruments and is overall a hit. 
  4. Nobody Gets Me: This song is so incredibly beautiful and meaningful to me. The duration of the song is a repeated guitar riff that resembles the song “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star, which is also another amazing song. This song is really sad but relatable for many. Lyrics such as “Nobody gets me like you, how am I supposed to let you go? I only like myself when I’m with you,” express the sinking feeling of losing someone you loved and trusted. They symbolize the way many people lose happiness when they go through a breakup. I love this song because it perfectly captures the confusing emotions of a relationship while still sounding gorgeous.
  5. Low: The beat in this song picks the pace of the album up a bit. Although it has the same topic as the other songs, it is still fresh in the ears. You can find multiple Travis Scott moments in this song if you listen closely, teasing at the later released remix.
  6. F2F: When listening to F2F, the first thing that comes to mind is the 2007 Miley Cyrus era. This song is so nostalgic but still modern, in a way. The lyrics explain how SZA tried to replace her ex with someone else, but they just can’t fill his shoes. In my opinion, this song deserves a higher ranking, but the classics make it tough to reach any number above six for this song. This song screams “your loss”, containing the lyrics “Get a rise out of watching you fall, get a kick out of missing your call.”
  7. Shirt: In 2020, SZA teased fans by posting a video on Instagram of her dancing to a short clip of the song. Of course, the audio went viral and her fanbase scoured the internet in hopes of a full-length version. We sat unsatisfied until she dropped SOS, which contains this harmonious song. Honestly, there is not much I can say about this song. It is incredibly good, with a steady but complex beat. Shirt has been a favorite of many since the teaser, and I predict that it will maintain its popularity for quite a while.
  8. Blind: This song went viral in 2021, and has been a worldwide hit ever since. The beautiful result of the depressing backstory and SZA’s angelic vocals has gained more than 100 million streams on Spotify alone. This song talks about her blindness toward the red flags in the relationship. In my opinion, this applies to nearly every teenage girl across the world.
  9. SOS: This is the very first song on the album and though short, it expresses a soulful yet melancholic feeling. Containing complex harmonies and gospel song aspects, this song is a great starter for an emotional rollercoaster album.

   SOS has 23 entrancing songs, but these are my top nine. Hopefully, SZA will release more albums like this in the future, but for now, SOS will be unapologetically enjoyed.