SZA Talks Taking CTRL of Her Music and Legacy for Cosmo Magazine

It seems like just yesterday I was riding around and gettin’ it to Grammy-nominated artist SZA’S album CTRL, singing (albeit loudly and offkey) to “Love Galore.” To say that that particular single was one of my favorites off the album would be an understatement. To say that I, along with countless other SZA fans have been patiently waiting for a follow up to that bomb debut album, would be an overstatement. Luckily, we’ve been getting little glimpses of what we can expect here and there (looking at you “Hit Different” and “Good Days”.)

Now, thanks to Cosmopolitan Magazine, the “All The Stars” singer has given us a little bit more insight. The February 2021 cover star talks everything from expectations of her sophomore album, her infamous 2018 Grammy snub, and what kind of legacy she hopes to leave behind. Speaking on her intent and creative process behind the upcoming album, the title of which has yet to be released, SZA explained:

“In this space, I just want to do what I want without any pressure, without any hyper-conversation about it. This album is going to be the shit that made me feel something in my…here and in here,” she continues, laying one hand on her heart and the other on her gut. “That’s what’s going to go on the album. I’m making all different types of shit every day from different places in my spirit.”

Perhaps it’s those different spiritual places that have allowed the “Broken Clocks” singer to remain at peace and peak creativity following her 2018 controversial Grammy snub. According to SZA—it wasn’t and still isn’t a big deal. “I’m just a girl from the ’burbs. I never had dreams of being nominated for a Grammy,” she says. “I thought I was going to be a gymnast and a fucking business accountant somewhere. Or working at Nike corporate or some shit in Portland. Who knows, but something that involved a power suit. So it’s not a heavy burden. Once you’ve been nominated and lost, you’re very much free because you’re not concerned. I passed that threshold years ago—it’s an old energy to me. Why would I be mad?”

She added, “Right now, more than ever, I’m just figuring it out—who I am and what I want that to be,” she says. “Before, it was more about letting people know that I was a good writer and that I shouldn’t be counted out. And now it’s more, ‘You have power; you can shape the world based on the things you genuinely care about.’”

You know what you call that? Growth.

To read the full interview, head to cosmopolitan.com