SZA - Ctrl


SZA
Ctrl
2017
Spotify

Let me set the scene: a smokey room, a single electric guitar stars picking away through mountains of distortion but it's quiet so you can still hear yourself think. Then a unique voice cuts through the smoke, it's brash yet smooth but the words are: “Let me tell you a secret/I been secretly banging your homeboy/Why you in Vegas all up on Valentine's Day?” WHAT?! Who is this, and what is she doing because goddamn it bangs. Ctrl is the major debut for SZA and that lyric comes from the opening track "Supermodel". The story on intensifies when you learn this isn't just songwriting, but a true story that SZA claims her ex will found out about once the album dropped. SZA has a fantastic alt-R&B style reminiscent of Nao but much more braggadocious. Hip Hop bleeds into her lyrics, but not her music choices creating this really interesting blend that people like Anderson .paak and others have had so much success with as of late. The features are really front loaded on Crtl with Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott in the first four songs. It is a highly sexual record but in such an interesting way; instead of pinning or searching for love Sza is always on to the next. She finds this balance between satisfying sexual desire and fulfilling emotional needs, turns it into a slow jam and bam the essence of Ctrl is found. On "Prom" she find this simply amazing almost 80s inspired groove and her voice is just pitch perfect, it is one of those tracks that make you step back and say "wow.".

There is just simply not a bad moment on this record. By the time you look up you are nearly ten tracks deep and Sza has not made a misstep or something to suck you out of the vibe she expertly creates. Even the outros which feature Sza's mother (which you find out later) still manage to stay right in the pocket the entire time. "Broken Clocks" is the one song that feel like it is only more of the same, but it still sounds so smooth. Frank Ocean is really the closest comparison you can draw to Sza's style and her willingness to do nearly anything in service of a song. The stomp on vocal percussion used on "Anything" is magical in it's delivery and it really comes out of nowhere elevating the song right at the end and begging you to come back again to figure out how the hell she got there. The times where she does use trap drums work so well because as with everything she knows when to have that light touch. She never goes on a full frontal assault on Ctrl and instead lures you in slowly yet with great intention. Sza has arrived, and if she keeps this pace we are only due for some of the best R&B we've heard.

9.0 out of 10

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