SZA’s ‘Ctrl’ Still Resonates

Jul 12

Four years ago (on June 9th in 2017) SZA dropped her debut album Ctrl about youth, love, and illusion. With its release the singer solidified her spot as a sincere voice in music, crooning about tales that are all too familiar. On July 1st she performed songs from the album at a nature-themed virtual concert titled, “In Bloom,” for Grey Goose’s newest launch inspiring us to reflect on what we love about it.

Ctrl encapsulates every feeling. It’s a coming-of-age story about the honest mistakes, toxic relationships, and insecurities we face on the journey to self-love. SZA offers listeners validation, transparency, and companionship. She fully divulges herself, telling us her secrets and assuring us we’re not alone in the parts of life that feel the loneliest. Let’s unpack your favorites from the album, based on how you responded in our TGR Instagram poll.

The show opened with “Supermodel,” a song about a toxic relationship that leaves SZA spiteful. Led by romantic guitar strums, she sings about comparing herself to other women and admits to having slept with a boyfriend’s best friend on Valentine’s Day. She’s not sorry about it, either. She wants things to end for good but she’s conflicted, and stacks herself up against the women he admires. She questions herself: “Why I can’t stay alone just by myself/Wish I was comfortable just with myself/But I need you, but I need you, but I need you.” The track touches on something a lot of us can relate to — wanting to stay with someone who isn’t good for us, for whatever reason.

About ten minutes in, “Broken Clocks” is up. On this one, SZA is reminiscing about the past and contemplating balance. With lyrics such as, “I moved on for the better, you moved on to whoever/I was down for whatever, and then some/You ‘gon make me late to work again,” it’s clear that she’s stuck in a cycle, going through the motions. Ultimately, she decides she needs to do things her own way.

Another top track, “Garden (Say it Like Dat)” comes later with the set lights changing to a shade of bright green. This time SZA’s reunited with an old love, someone who reminds her of who she used to be. She’s enthralled, but honest with herself about the authenticity of the connection. She knows things probably won’t work out in her favor, yet she goes for it anyway.

The electrifying rendition ends with a guitar and alternate lyrics, unlike on the album where SZA’s grandmother chimes in, offering words of wisdom about the importance of standing in who you are, no matter what: “If you don’t like me, you don’t have to fool with me/But you don’t have to talk about me or treat me mean/I don’t have to treat you mean/I just stay out of your way/That’s the way we work that one.”

Along with Ctrl, SZA performed her more recent singles “Good Days,” “Hit Different,” “Kiss Me More” from Doja Cat’s Planet Her, and a snippet from her upcoming track, “Shirt.”

Ctrl is the album you pick up on a good day. It’s the album you play on Sunday afternoons and ride to in the early mornings and late nights. It’s also the album you blast when the world is crumbling at your feet. SZA captures life at any given moment. Her vulnerability is powerful, inspiring, and nostalgic.

According to her Twitter, her highly anticipated sophomore project is in the works, but there’s no release date or title yet. We can’t wait to see what she comes with next. Until then, stream Ctrl, which, by the way, still stands as the longest-charting debut album by a Black female artist in Billboard history.