Another Life, Another Lesson: SZA’s Guide to Surviving Feelings

By Lillie Lenga-Kroma

KNOWN MOSTLY FOR HER CONFIDENT, alternative R&B songs and her emotionally raw songwriting, SZA has built up a reputation as an artist whose vulnerability has shaped modern R&B.

Over the past decade, she has become a defining voice for young women finding their ways through life's messiest highs and lows. I remember the first time I listened to "Normal Girl" and "Good Days", sat journaling on my bedroom floor as a teenage girl. I had no idea what I wanted or who I wanted to be, but her music resonated and showed me it was absolutely okay to be uncertain.

When SZA released SOS Deluxe: LANA, it quickly became a mirror for a generation of young women navigating love, self-discovery, and kaleidoscopic identity. She articulates the emotions that are too often unspoken, empowering her listeners to confront their own com-plexities. For a lot of us, her voice is validating.

Tracks across LANA dwell on uncertainty and self-doubt, but manage to express an unmistakable strength in the way that she's feeling. For young women in particular, this approach is revolutionary. She normalises the idea that feeling deeply is acceptable, and doing so is a form of resilience.

In an interview with British Vogue in December 2024, she said that she's 'not identifying with[her] brokenness' and her 'music is shifting because of that'. In other words, SOS Deluxe: LANA reflects her ability to break toxic habits and insecurities, and transform into someone who has healed from other people's cruelty.

"Love Me 4 Me" stands out as a powerful assertion of this self-worth. The song itself is simple, with a smooth and melodic R&B groove, but its message resonates deeply. She repeatedly insists that she should be loved on her own terms, reflecting a broader message for young women navigating relationships: desire and boundaries can coexist.

Towards the end of the song, lines like 'Now I'm tryna love me for me serve as affirmations, as she promotes prioritising her own needs while still engaging in emotional intimacy. It's a reminder that empowerment in relationships does not require sacrificing yourself for it.

While some tracks on LANA confront her heartbreak head on, "Kitchen" takes on more of a reflective approach. The song's gentle, idyllic production mirrors the contemplative process of understanding oneself that often only comes alone, late at night.

Her viral promo song "Kitchen" picks apart how past mistakes and regrets shape personal growth. She confesses that growth is almost never linear, and embracing your flaws is an essential part of developing your confidence.

The breezy, atmospheric quality of the song, combined with the light, twinkling synths, make it feel effortlessly chill. The slow tempo and gentle flow balances the song with a sense of emotional introspection.

In the opening lines, she says 'We got a real history' but quickly follows with, 'That's no reason Ican't choose me. She reminds her listeners that no matter how complicated love gets, putting yourself first is always essential. She really hits home with this one.

It's no wonder that "Saturn" was a key song on the album, as it captures an intense longing to escape. Her voice feels intimate, and the production airy, as she floats between desire and exhaustion. It resonates with me as a gentle admission that sometimes growth means allowing yourself to imagine a lighter reality, even if you're not quite sure what that looks like

"Another Life" is a similar song for the yearning lover girls. The song feels like a daydream, full of weightlessness as she imagines a version of life that exists just out of reach. Her escapism is felt in each one of the hopeful lyrics and the slow-moving beats of the song.

What I love about LANA as an album is that it isn’t preachy or performative, but instead confesses the messy and honest aspects of a woman’s journey to rediscovering herself after heartbreak.

On LANA, few tracks are as candid and confessional as "Scorsese Baby Daddy". As the song fights to be listeners' top song on the al-bum, it musically stands out with its confident vibe. There's a self-awareness here that feels like a shameless exposure of her messy and-complicated emotions.

As she confesses, 'Addicted to the drama', SZA acknowledges the self-destructive pull towards chaos that we often feel in relationships. The song, like many others on the album, reads like a journal entry as it's unfiltered and totally honest.

Beyond the numbers and reviews, the album has solidified SZA's role as both an artist and a relatable role model for a generation of listeners.

As LANA made its way across social media, her listeners began joking about her tendency to spiral romantically, and take on self-destructive habits. But the jokes come from a place of recognition, and knowing exactly what it feels like to romanticise pain while being fully aware you deserve better.

If LANA teaches us anything, it's that being a little dramatic, a little unsure, and a lot emotional is a part of the self-discovery journey. SZA's songs are both messy and beautiful, like a teenage girl's diary.