SOS Deluxe: LANA is the newest edition to SZA’s discography, but does it live up to her legacy?

Two years after the release of her album SOS, contemporary R&B singer SZA dropped the deluxe version to the album titled SOS Deluxe: LANA. The album’s name is a shortened moniker stemming from the SZA’s real name which is Solána. In real SZA fashion, the album’s release was delayed up to the day it was to be released. Set to drop on Friday, Dec. 20, many fans including myself checked our music streaming service of choice as soon as the clock struck midnight with the hopes of the deluxe album. However, the album was nowhere to be found, which would have been a shock had this been any other artist. For SZA, the delay was comically expected since she is known for being deceptive and spreading false information about her music releases to her fans. She published a tweet letting her fans know the music would be available in the morning. The subsequent morning I woke up and immediately checked for the album and then checked Twitter to affirm that I was not the only one who still could not find the album. Hopeless and defeated, I clung onto one tweet that said the album would be available at noon. Luckily, this tweet had validity and some time after noon I checked for the final time for the album. Lo and behold, SOS Deluxe: LANA was finally out with a tracklist of 14 brand new songs and one lead-up single that debuted in February.

LANA opens with “No More Hiding,” which has a slower, ethereal sound to it which is typical of what I would expect from SZA. It sounds very consistent with the kind of songs that were part of SOS like “Blind.” I think it is a really good song but it does not do much with the beat or SZA’s vocals. It’s simple and safe, guaranteeing some popularity while not straying too far into the experimental zone. It sounds super sweet and soft which I enjoy. Still, I felt like it was missing something especially as the album's opener. The second song, “What Do I Do,” includes snippets of phone calls or voicemails from SZA throughout the song. I love them because they remind me of the voicemail messages from her grandma that are scattered throughout the songs on CTRL. The song is SZA's reaction to her partner cheating and, like the name implies, she’s unsure how to handle the situation. I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it was a super catchy breakup anthem.

The third song on the tracklist, “30 For 30 (feat Kendrick Lamar)” was the only song containing a feature on LANA. In general, I felt like LANA could have used a female artist collaboration or a smoother hip-hop artist like Ty Dolla $ign but I was still excited for the new Kendrick Lamar feature. SZA and Kendrick Lamar go way back as they are both signed to the label TDE which has resulted in numerous collaboration tracks. I have been a fan of their past features from “Babylon” to “All The Stars” and “Doves in the Wind” as well as their most recent “luther,” from Kendrick Lamar’s latest album GNX. The two artists are going on tour together this summer so, it makes sense Kendrick would appear on SZA’s new music. “30 For 30” was a bit catchy but it was nowhere near as amazing as their previous songs. I was not a fan of this song as I thought Kendrick sounded monotone in the beginning and SZA’s sound was similar to Lil Uzi Vert in “New Patek,” at one point. I also thought it was cringy when SZA kept ad-libbing “Chat” on her verse. It felt forced and like the song was meant for internet fame which might be why it lacks substance.

One of my favorite songs off of LANA was “Diamond Boy (DTM).” DTM is an acronym that stands for “doing too much” which sums up how SZA feels she is coming across to her love interest. It is a cute little love song that’s upbeat with a more pop feel. Another one of my favorites was “My Turn.” I loved the hip-hop beat and the chorus was repetitive but in a catchy way. I think this would have been enhanced with a male rap feature. Someone like Young Nudy or Gunna came to mind as a desirable feature. I was a huge fan of “Drive,” the slow tempo was accompanied by a graceful guitar that really made the song. It had almost a country element to the beat with SZA’s crisp voice.

The debut single for LANA is “Saturn” which is a slower, somber toned song. It's an earworm that gets stuck in your head but it is not the most gripping SZA song. It feels a bit dull and lackluster, although the lyrics are relatable. I thought “Crybaby” had the same soft vibes as “Saturn” while bringing that extra oomph that it was missing. It was quite humorous to have a song called “Crybaby” when a lot of people are comparing her new bug prosthetic aesthetic to Melanie Martinez and the facial prosthetics she now adorns. I was a huge fan of the way she layered her voice and hit the high notes in the background. It reminded me a lot of Coco Jones style of singing whom I absolutely adore. “Another Life” had that similar melancholy feel to these songs but it was incredible. I was not expecting to like this song as much as I do but, there’s just something about SZA’s voice that was so angelic and pure. It reminds me of the SZA I first fell in love with and I am obsessed.

“BMF” definitely took a few listens but it finally grew on me. I have noticed this pattern of R&B or hip-hop artists including a more hyperpop, autotuned song to their albums and I find this to be SZA’s version of that kind of song. A few examples of this style of song that “BMF” reminds me of are “Worthy” on Megan Thee Stallion’s MEGAN and “Take My Time” on Normani’s DOPAMINE. I feel like her singing is a bit slow for the song’s uptempo beat. Still its chorus will somehow worm its way into your brain. The title “BMF” is a nod to the Black Mafia Family, who gained notoriety in popular culture when the television show inspired by the lives of its members, “BMF,” was released by Starz. The song was teased by SZA as a collaboration with Lizzo. Personally, it sounds better as a solo track but, I think a collaboration would have also been good with a female rap verse from someone like Megan Thee Stallion or Latto. “Love Me 4 Me” was a super chill, groovier song. I like the song and the self-love message it carried but, it was not anything special or standout. It really gives similar energy to a Victoria Monet song especially from her album JAGUAR II vibes with an elevator music, jazzy beat and a long instrumental outro.

The deluxe was good but I was not overly impressed with it after my initial listen. Considering SZA had around two years to work on the project, it is not very cohesive and felt like it was lacking. The production sounded low quality and at times her vocals sounded strained. A lot of the songs lacked a meaningful story or arc that we are brought through with both the music and lyrics. Maybe the work was a bit rushed so it was not in the most polished shape? I thought, considering the success of SOS, this deluxe version would have a lot riding on it, creating diamond hits under the pressure. Instead, the vocals felt minimal and the songs lacked good sound quality. I hope I am not sounding too harsh because I love SZA and CTRL Deluxe as an entire piece of work is one of my all-time favorite albums. I may be a bit biased as SOS in general was not my favorite successor to CTRL, and the deluxe edition to this album has me feeling the same way. However, SOS grew on me overtime so the deluxe edition’s songs may need to as well. So far though, my initial couple of listens to LANA have left me with only a few songs that have actually made it to my playlist. Don’t get me wrong, these few songs are solid hits but I was expecting more from, in my opinion, one of the best R&B artists of contemporary-age R&B.

Top Tracks: My Turn, What Do I Do, Diamond Boy (DTM), Another Life and Drive