SZA Details Forthcoming Sophomore Album 'S.O.S.'

New York, NY (Top40 Charts) SZA is planning to release an album called S.O.S. next month, Billboard reports. She said she is "currently stressed" about meeting the deadline for the long-awaited follow-up to Ctrl, however, and expressed doubts about continuing her music career long-term.

"I feel like music, in this capacity, I don't see longevity," she told Billboard. "I like to create, I like to write, I like to sing, and I like to share. But I don't know if chasing after superstardom or whatever I'm supposed to be doing right now is sustainable for me or for anybody. I'ma take a good swing at it, and I'ma give 'em my absolute best."

"As I wrap things up I'm trying to like pick out the things that I feel like this sounds like I care too much like, what other people think or want me to make and I'm like, 'F**k that.' But then I'm also like, 'Is this singable? Is this memorable? Does this song have structure?'" she said.

Billboard calls S.O.S "the most captivating music she has ever made" instrumentally, with songs that include surf rock, grunge, and an acoustic guitar-driven ballad. "S.O.S is an album that certainly justifies a five-year wait," declares the magazine.

But it hasn't been an easy journey for the 33-year-old songstress. "I could literally burst into tears and run through this wall at any moment. I am effectively falling apart," she says. "But it's not like, the album pressure… It's just, life is f-king hard. To be expected to do anything at a high level while life is life-ing is f-king crazy. This isn't meant for a person; it's meant for a machine."

The long-awaited follow-up to 2017's Ctrl has already spawned a series of hits. In December 2020, SZA released "Good Days," which was followed by "I Hate U" a year later. Both songs charted in the top 10, peaking at No. 9 and No. 7 on the Hot 100. Last month, she released her latest single "Shirt."