Singer-songwriter SZA is back with brand new music today (December 9). SOS arrived with features by Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers, Travis Scott, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
“It was definitely like I doubt this gonna be allowed to be on the album, but it surprisingly was,” SZA told Hot 97’s Nessa about the ODB collaboration on her latest album.
The R&B star continued, “I talked to [the Ol’ Dirty Bastard Estate]. It really just came from a place of documentary footage from Rodney Jerkins. He was sweet enough to let me use that.”
However, SZA confirmed that she wanted even more names to appear on the project. While speaking with Hot 97, the Top Dawg Entertainment vocalist addressed missing out on some guests for SOS.
“DMs and, like, begging people. Sometimes people turn in their verses and sometimes they don’t,” explained SZA and her process for securing Features. “And a lot of people just like did not turn in their verses, but I’m grateful for who did.”
SOS follows SZA’s major label debut studio LP, Ctrl, which came out in 2017. That Grammy-nominated body of work earned a 3x-Platinum Award from the Recording Industry Association of America.
Ctrl debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart by earning 60,000 first-week units. SZA recruited TDE labelmates Kendrick Lamar and Isaiah Rashad as well as Travis Scott and James Fauntleroy for her first album.
As part of her promo run for SOS, SZA performed as the musical guest on the December 3 episode of Saturday Night Live. The New Jersey-raised musician ran through her songs “Shirt” and “Blind” on the late-night sketch comedy show.