22/2/23 – Chicago, IL – United Center

After the successful Ctrl, SZA is back with another catchy r&b album. Born Solána Imani Rowe, SZA uses ambient and nostalgic production to accentuate her blunt and vulnerable storytelling. SZA’s style was solidified in Ctrl and flourishes in her newest album SOS. The 23 song album is full of ups and downs of silly references and laments about love. 

SZA’s style can be seen in “Used (feat. Don Toliver)”. She discusses being used to the feeling of the downs of life. Things keep getting harder and each time it’s like she can’t help but expect it. In this lament, she says she doesn’t need to focus because “I’m Obi-Wan”. The parallelism of discussing tougher topics in a light way works throughout the album. 

SOS shows the r&b singer experimenting some more since her first album. In “Seek & Destroy” and “Blind” SZA changes the octave of her vocals. Through production, she changes her vocals so they are lower or higher than her actual voice. The song “F2F” shows SZA in an indie-teen-television-montage moment about trying to get over a lost love. As she continues to experiment with styles she also finds new collaborations. 

SOS includes newcomer features of Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers, Ol’ Dirty Bastard along with returning collab of Travis Scott. 

Opening for SZA is Omar Apollo. The indie-r&b artist is celebrating the release of his debut album Ivory. The album follows the success of his mixtape Apolonio. While Apollo has indie tracks like “Talk”, he keeps the album fresh by adding electropop tracks such as “Go Away” and Latin inspired tracks such as “En El Olvido”. Omar Apollo is full of falsettos, vocal runs, and powerful lyrics. Tickets can still be bought at ticketmaster.com.

Location: United Center

1901 W. Madison St. Chicago, IL 60612

Doors: 6:30 PM

Tickets: $170+

Ages: Any