SZA (Solána Imani Rowe) has released her latest music venture into the world, “LANA.” Serving as the back-half to her critically acclaimed second album “SOS,” this deluxe edition of the album curates a deeper run into the fields of both self-discovery and finding closure within oneself.
The world has felt the SZA renaissance ever since her debut album “Ctrl” touched the hearts of fans across the globe.
COMPASS Senior Rhyan Shipp credits SZA as an inspiration, stating, “SZA is a fantastic artist! She has a beautiful voice and I believe she is an example of black excellence.” Accolades are no stranger to SZA. After smash-hit “Kill Bill” spent over 20 weeks at the Number 1 spot of the Billboard Hot 100, fans were left on their toes curious to what the superstar’s newest project would encompass.
Opening the album with “No More Hiding,” SZA formats a naturalistic approach to the album with enchanting synths. She utilizes this charming instrumentation to offer a story about battling internal facades she had set about herself. Rather than concentrating on countless hoaxes, she attempts to shift her focus on what is ‘real’ around her “Hurting for real, chasing a real—anything real.”
Recalling a phone call that exposed her partner’s infidelity in “What Do I Do,” SZA is left feeling betrayed yet perplexed over how to move forward since she still emotionally resonates with this person. Illusioned, in “Love Me 4 Me” SZA is trapped, convinced that this man was the only person to love her for her true self. “Another Life” is the aftermath of the love-battle, “I don’t care who you marry, mine…Maybe in another life.” No longer in each other’s lives, in the moody-drum ballad, SZA fantasizes that they had the potential to be soul-mates in an alternative reality.
The ghost of a former love haunts SZA in “Kitchen,” “Makes me forget—I forgive him, mama told me I don’t listen, back again.” Refusing to let go of decaying memories containing unconditional love, she is caught in a dilemma. Constantly remarking how challenging it is for her to do what is best for her, she comes to her senses as the song spins on its head.
Comprehending that the version of the person she originally fell in love with has evolved into someone she no longer recognizes, she grants herself the green light to release herself from this mental prison. As she navigates how to process her emotions, “Drive” is about a late-night ride with the intention to ease her mind, “I been up ’til midnight, drivin’ to nowhere, bumpin’ a slow song, can’t get my head clear.”
In “Diamond Boy DTM” SZA’s worst enemy is not anyone but herself. Throughout the song, she builds a theme of paranoia within believing she is intemperate inside of her relationships, as she describes, ‘doing too much.’
“Crybaby” keeps this self-destructing mindset alive, but in this roll around she takes accountability to call out her behavior, “’Cause all I seem to do is get in my way, then blame you, it’s just a cycle.” A metamorphosis hatches inside “Scorsese Baby Daddy,” over gritty-guitars, her anxiety over being “too much” reappears, but this time it dissolves into acceptance. “I hate to be the one doing the most, that’s what it takes, though…You love me for it.” Here, she’s able to access the behavioral chemistry between the two, further reassuring to herself that their love is mutual.
What goes around comes back around. In “My Turn” SZA believes she’s getting her karma for not just the good, but also the bad. Rather than having a hunch of defeat, she chooses to see both outcomes as learning sprouts, attempting to be resilient. Fully finding her element, both “Chill Baby” and “Get Behind Me (Interlude)” showcase SZA finding the ability to leave behind negativity in her life.
Fan favorite “BMF” has seen triumphant success on streaming services, becoming the highest streamed deep-cut for the album. Laying over the addicting melodic bossa-nova beats, SZA swoons as cupid’s bow struck her straight to the heart, “Be your Jane, you could be my Tarzan.”
Ditching the love-life euphoria, every bar of “30 For 30” featuring Kendrick Lamar represented how multi-facilitated the album would be. Both musicians sing in dual harmonies about their aggressive work environments in the music industry. Detailing the hardships they faced, but also overcame, this track almost becomes a track-record of the success of their musical careers.
Transacting the album with “Saturn,” SZA daydreams ditching the earth for a world of simplicity. “I’ll be better on Saturn, none of this matters, dreaming of Saturn” is the closing chorus of the album, as her planetary departure is imminent, she frames the planet of Saturn as a metaphor to leaving this chapter of her life behind. SZA comes full circle on this track, not only overcoming all of her hardships explored in the album, she now alludes to being hopeful for brighter skies in the patterns of life. Saturn would go on to win Best R&B Song at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
While experimenting with sounds never touched inside her prior projects, “LANA” has broken both instrumental and lyrical barriers in her primary music genre, R&B. Beginning from the meadows of sorrow, SZA has curated a journey of letting misery go to adventure the lands of self-liberation.
Maggie Guillen • Mar 13, 2025 at 8:51 am
On March 3, 2025, Ian Henriquez wrote an article titled “SZA Releases SOS Deluxe: LANA”. This article provides a detailed description on SZA’s new album and describes the meaning behind each song she added on this album. Henriquez begins by first highlighting SZA’s achievements for those who may not be familiar with her success and history as an artist. He lists all songs included in the new album and a brief summary of what they entail, and for some, the background of what influenced her to make these songs. This topic is very appropriate for the audience being high school teens since music plays such a significant role in their lives. She’s one of the biggest artists of this generation and specifically for this age group, her popularity continues to grow, especially as she continues to drop new projects like her newest “LANA” album. This article also allows people to familiarize themselves with SZA as they’re enlightened on her work and many awards she’s earned. However, adding students’ favorite songs and opinions on the album would’ve been an exciting and beneficial way to encourage others to listen or relate to each other. Nonetheless, this article was a detailed overview filled with thorough information which is what makes it useful and very enjoyable to read.
Atheena Roncal • Mar 6, 2025 at 9:44 am
On March 3, 2025, Ian Henriquez wrote an article titled “SZA Releases SOS Deluxe: LANA”. In this article, he recognizes R&B marvel Solána Imani Rowe, also known as SZA, who recently released her excellent back-half deluxe to her album, “SOS.” SZA has been my top artist for two years in a row now, so seeing this article in the Corydon had me tuned in for a great read, and I wasn’t disappointed. Henriquez did an incredible job introducing new listeners and loyal listeners to her eye-opening R&B piece. He proposes a small overview on the artist, acknowledging one of her top-hit wonders while also getting another perspective from a fellow Millikan student. However, I feel the article lacked perspectives by other students, and it would give the article a more genuine source of opinions that would allow future readers to feel engaged with other students who have similar opinions.
Henriquez proceeds through the article with a rundown on the addition of songs, including some of my favorites, “BMF,” “Another Life,” “Drive,” and “Crybaby.” Not only does he describe the moods of every single song, but as well as referencing lyrics showcasing the deeper meanings behind them. For the song “BMF,” he includes one of my favorite lyrics from the song, “Be your Jane, you could be my Tarzan.” Tarzan was and still is one of my favorite Disney movies and using this reference took me far back to my childhood, while also giving me butterflies about the future boy I’ll be with.
Overall, this article has yet to discourage me and has gotten me looking forward to future articles on similar music artists. This is an exceptional introduction for other people who wish to listen in with SZA, allowing people to gather together in interests alike.
Aliza Armenta • Mar 5, 2025 at 3:02 pm
On March 3, 2025 Ian Henriquez wrote an article titled “SZA Releases SOS Deluxe: LANA ”. I think this article is a very interesting topic and one many students at Millikan will find intriguing. SZA is a very popular artist among young people and having an article based on a highly anticipated album is very exciting for many. Henriquez goes through each song on the new album and offers insight to the meanings and opinions. I enjoyed his opinions because I also share most of them and I’m sure many others do as well. He also added spotify links to each song he mentions which is a very good addition as it helps people also explore new music. Henriquez does a great job at emphasizing the message of each song by including quotes of the lyrics. This makes people want to listen to the song to hear these lyrics. The article is also very well organized, each paragraph talks about either a specific song or a group of songs that relate to one another. Overall this is a well thought out article that many students will be able to relate to.
Lay'lahni Lorenzana • Mar 5, 2025 at 1:39 pm
Dear Corydon Editor,
On March 3, 2025, Ian Henriquez wrote an article titled “SZA Releases SOS Deluxe: Lana”. I was fascinated by this piece that Henriquez wrote because it expresses how the Singer SZA curates his songs within her new album. When this new album was released, many fans across the globe listened to and felt a deep connection to the songs. This album that SZA released has gone viral ever since and has touched the hearts of thousands of fans. However, I feel like the author could have asked multiple students currently at Millikan, how they feel about the new album being released and what their favorite song is from the recently released album. I know that some specific lines that the author used to go deeper into the meaning of SZA’s new songs. Although, another source could have been social media tweets from fans or other music artists that have an opinion on the newest album.
Adding in some of the lyrics in previous and current songs is a really good way for the audience to understand the meaning behind the lyrics. As well as, explaining some of the most popular songs that are fan favorites builds up the relations to all the songs that SZA has made. Along with this, I enjoyed that the article includes different details about the songs and the lyrics that give a deeper meaning to them. Not only can you learn from this but you can also see the real meaning and process that gets put into making a song and which word choices are made.
Overall, this is a great article and I am glad that the author explained why SZA uses specific lines in her songs. As a high school student who loves SZA and her music, this kind of information is a great resource for what others can look into to understand the background of why songwriters make their music. Thank you for bringing attention to this new album that students at Millikan High School and all over the world can listen to.
Sincerely,
Lay’lahni Lorenzana
Angelica Casillas • Mar 5, 2025 at 1:34 pm
This article is very informative and enthusiastic about SZA, also known as Solána Imani Rowe’s new album. The author expresses that there is a great popularity revolving around SZA, and many people, including quotes from students, praise SZA’s music and artistry. The article dissects the new songs featured in this deluxe album by title and meaning. The article is organized well, with several paragraphs. I personally am also a fan of SZA’s music and enjoyed listening to the Deluxe release. Her music truly has been highly anticipated and it was worth the wait. Her songs are very successful. The writer of this article also utilizes quotes of SZA’s popular lyrics which have deep meaning and are expressed beautifully. Her music is inspiring and as stated in the article, has broken barriers in the music industry and within her primary R&B genre. Overall this article is a great, well-written piece.
Eliana Brion • Mar 5, 2025 at 1:03 pm
Dear Corydon Editor,
On March 3, 2025, Ian Henriquez wrote an article titled “SZA Releases SOS Deluxe: LANA”. Personally, I am a very avid listener of SZA and one day hope to see her live. This article truly covers how SZA is able to compose music that is raw and emotional. Her newest album, “LANA,” has some of my favorite songs like “Kitchen,” “Diamond Boy (DTM),” Scorsese Baby Daddy,” and “BMF,” which are all new additions to her “SOS” album. In this article, Henriquez breaks down each of the songs on the deluxe.
One of my ultimate favorite songs is “Diamond Boy DTM,” and Henriquez explains the story with the phrase, “SZA’s worst enemy is not anyone but herself.” I enjoy this song because of how mellow, yet vulnerable SZA is when it comes to her emotions. To add on, another one of my favorite songs is “fan-favorite,” “BMF.” Henriquez recognizes how popular the song is by mentioning how the catchy “bossa nova” beat and lyrics entices her listeners.
In Henriquez’s conclusion he applauded SZA’s ability to dabble in new genres and musical techniques, breaking “both instrumental and lyrical barriers.” All in all, I liked reading Henriquez’s article on SZA’s deluxe album, as it deeply analyzed each of her new additions to the “SOS” album.
Sincerely,
Eliana Brion
River Fisher • Mar 5, 2025 at 9:55 am
On March 3rd, 2025, Ian Henriquez wrote an article titled “SZA releases SOS Deluxe: LANA.” In this article he talks about how amazing and outstanding R&B phenomenon SZA recently released her back half album to SOS titled LANA. The author describes how each of SZA’s songs have deeper meanings and really can’t show emotion and touch the audience that is listening. Even going as far as to interview others opinions on this new album. Also showing the features such as Kendrick Lamar on the album and explaining some of SZA’s lyrics. The author clearly goes in depth into SZa’s work and proves why she is considered one of today’s greats. Overall this article is a definite read and really shows more about SZA’s new album than one would think. It shows how her songs were titled and what some of them are talking about showing the emotional intelligence of the artist.