Solána Imani Rowe, professionally known as SZA, was born on November 8, 1989, in St. Louis, Missouri, but grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey. She started her music career in the early 2010s, releasing two extended plays, See.SZA.Run & S, before signing with the renowned hip hop record label Top Dawg Entertainment.
Under this label, SZA released her third EP and first retail release, Z, which garnered widespread critical acclaim. Her debut studio album, Ctrl, was released on June 9, 2017, and debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, eventually earning platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Ctrl received four Grammy Award nominations, with SZA herself nominated for Best New Artist at the 60th annual ceremony. The album was ranked as the best of 2017 by Time magazine. In the same year, SZA collaborated with Maroon 5 on the hit single "What Lovers Do."
The following year, she teamed up with Kendrick Lamar to create the song "All the Stars" for the Black Panther soundtrack, which earned nominations for the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Original Song. In 2021, her single "Good Days" gained immense popularity on streaming platforms and became her first solo top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
As a neo-soul singer, SZA's music often blends elements of alternative R&B, soul, hip hop, minimalist R&B, indie rock, cloud rap, witch house, and chillwave. Her lyrics are often described as unraveling, and her songs frequently revolve around themes of sexuality, nostalgia, and abandonment.
