SZA

Cast · Writer

Born

November 8, 1989 · St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Birth name

Solána Imani Rowe

SZA was born Solána Imani Rowe on November 8, 1989 in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in Maplewood, New Jersey. She began making music in the early 2010s, releasing two extended plays: See.SZA.Run & S, before signing with the hip hop record label Top Dawg Entertainment, through which she released Z, her third EP and first retail release. SZA's debut studio album, Ctrl was released on June 9, 2017 to universal acclaim from music critics. It debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 and was eventually certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album and its songs were nominated for four Grammy Awards and SZA was nominated for Best New Artist at the 60th annual ceremony. Ctrl was ranked as the best album of 2017 by Time. That year, she also featured on Maroon 5's hit single, What Lovers Do. The next year, she collaborated with Kendrick Lamar to create All the Stars for the Black Panther soundtrack; the song was nominated for the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Original Song. In 2021, her single: Good Days became popular on streaming platforms and became her first solo top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. SZA is a neo-soul singer, whose music has been described as alternative R&B, with elements of soul, hip hop, minimalist R&B, indie rock, cloud rap, witch house, and chillwave. SZA's lyrics are described as unraveling and her songs often revolve around themes of sexuality, nostalgia & abandonment.