Since releasing her debut album in 2017, singer-songwriter SZA has made a name for herself in the music industry and has skyrocketed with every song and feature she is a part of.
On Dec. 9, 2022, SZA further established herself in the industry with her sophomore album “SOS.” Although it falls in the Alternative R&B category, the album spans multiple genres, including rock, melodic rap and gospel.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, with 318,000 equivalent albums sold. It stayed on the top of the charts for ten consecutive weeks, marking the album as the longest-running number-one album by a female artist on the chart for the current decade.
On Dec. 13, 2022, SZA announced that she would embark on a North American Arena Tour dubbed the “SOS Tour.” The tour was initially highly exclusive, with only 17 dates, making purchasing tickets incredibly difficult.
The tour is headed by Live Nation, the world’s leading live entertainment company. Live Nation also includes huge brands such as Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts and Live Nation Sponsorship. The tour was also to be opened by Omar Apollo, who earned himself a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 2022.
However, due to the immense demand for tickets, SZA announced on Apr. 11, 2023, that she would extend her tour into Europe and add more North American dates.
On Oct. 22 and 23 of 2023, SZA played two Los Angeles shows at Crypto.com Arena with several Moorpark College students in attendance. Moorpark College first-year Phoenix Calhoun spoke about her connection to SZA’s music.
“I personally connect with SZA’s music on many different levels,” Calhoun spoke. “But most importantly, and I can definitely vouch for others when I say this, SZA’s music attracts younger generations like ours because of every story behind each song, whether it be love life or just general thoughts as a girl.”
In the second leg of her North American Tour, TikTok sensation D4VD opened for SZA and began at precisely 8 p.m. However, as 9 p.m. rolled around, the stadium was packed, and chants could be heard around the arena begging for SZA to make her appearance.
At 9:15 p.m., SZA entered the stage, opening with a beautiful image of her sitting on a diving board, her feet dangling off, and the ocean behind her. Crypto.com Arena exploded with excitement as the show was now underway.
The show consisted of a combination of songs from her two albums, “Ctrl” and “SOS,” as well as songs that she was featured on. Songs from “Ctrl” consisted of hits like “Broken Clocks” and “Drew Barrymore.” She also played smash hits from her “SOS” album, including “Kill Bill,” “Blind,” “Low” and “Nobody Gets Me.”
However, the stadium appeared loudest when SZA began singing one of her smash hits, “Snooze.” According to Billboard, on Jul. 25, 2023, “Snooze” hit number one on the Hot R&B song chart, which captured her fourth number one on the R&B charts.
The show appeared to follow a “lost at sea” theme, as props such as a giant boat, an anchor and underwater special effects were abundant.
Along with singing and dancing throughout her two-hour setlist, SZA also connected with her audience throughout the show.
“Los Angeles, you’re making me feel some type of way,” SZA spoke in between songs. “I want to come back to LA and just hang out with all of you. You guys are a vibe!”
If that connection wasn’t enough, towards the end of her performance, SZA boarded a lifeboat that would fly over the audience so she could connect with those seated further back in the Arena. SZA could be seen waving and pointing to fans and saying a brief “hello” in between songs.
The R&B phenom closed her show with the hit song “Good Days,” and the phrase “The End” was written on the screen behind her.
Calhoun further spoke about where the SOS Tour fell on her list of concert favorites.
“SZA’s concert was definitely my favorite out of all the ones I’ve been to because not only is SZA a great performer, but she had such awesome props,” Calhoun spoke. “And I knew the words to every song, so singing wasn’t as embarrassing!”
As award season approaches, according to Variety, SZA has been nominated for seventeen Billboard Music Awards spanning across sixteen categories. Nominations include Top Female Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist and Top R&B Artist.
There is no denying that SZA has made her mark in the music industry and continues to impress.
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