S EP

I wanna talk about the beginning of Sza. When I first listened to this EP I knew it was different. This EP changed my whole life. It freed me, made me cry, and stretched me beyond words. My young teenage self couldn’t even grasp what this project gave to me until years later when I was old enough to really appreciate the foundation of Sza’s art. The beginning days of her writing were special. She was able to articulate and embody what it means to be a lost, and confused teenage something while still having a little magic. That’s what this project felt like to me… magic. Words can’t express the vibe you get from her opening song castles. She talks about what it means to feel like you’re not enough while also highlighting her differences and unique qorks. Sza is so good at creating a fantasy in your mind. Listening to this project I felt like I was running though the forest chasing a bunny. So much to talk about with this EP. She highlights subjects such as self-worth, love, depression, and faith. In “Terror dome” she talks about what it means to feel like you’re out of your mind, but she does it in such a way where you want to feel the feeling with her. I appreciated her range of subjects in this EP and how it felt like you were dancing with time.

When I first listened to this EP I fell in love with the beats and melodic tones of her voice but as I got older I truly listened to the lyrics and fell in love with it all over again. I heard someone say once “when you’re happy you listen to the beat, when you’re sad you listen to the lyrics.” And I believe that to be true. It wasn’t until later I was able to soak in and relate to some of the words she was saying and once I was able to I felt all the more seen. This EP will forever be a timestamp in history for me. It’s nostalgic and sweet. My sister was actually the one to introduce me to Sza and seeing her progression over the years has been beautiful but I can definitely say there’s nothing like that old Sza. “Ice moon” was my absolute favorite song when I first listened to the project. Something about running away with your lover just appealed to my adolescent mind. I felt seen and heard. I felt like I was escaping through the song. I felt like I was in a trance with the melody. She says “show me a way to your hiding place, I think I wanna go, go there.” It just reminds me of my young lovers and feeling like you just wanna wrap yourself up in someone else’s world. After getting a little older and a little wiser my favorite song became “Pray.” Her opening lines on that song gave me chills. She said “young Medusa, never sure I just do, I jumped off a bridge, you say I fell I say I flew.” It just felt so magical. Especially as a black girl, hearing another black girl bridge her mysticism with her pen within her lyrics gave me chills.

I think every song on this EP peels back the layers of Sza’s mind. She really knows how to take you there with her lyrics. I think this project is the perfect coming of age artwork for a young girl growing up in this world. It highlights that life is not easy and sometimes you might feel like you wanna skip out but there’s still magic there. When people say things like “I wouldn’t be here without music.” This project I believe embodies that. One thing I love about this EP is the rawness to it, the production isn’t perfect, the vocals aren’t perfect but it just makes it all the more relatable to a growing teen. This project will forever hold a special place in my heart and if you haven’t listened to it I definitely suggest giving it a try. I can’t tell you how many nights this album saved me from going down the rabbit hole of despair. It’s music like this that we really need to appreciate. I think that Sza has made some insane, beautiful music and I think that this EP just embodies the time of her life where she was just starting out and becoming who she is today.

I know a lot of women deal with self-worth issues and this world making them feel small but one thing I like about Sza is she’s not afraid to talk about it. She’s not afraid to talk about her issues with identity and self-worth and to me that makes it all the more real and raw. I like raw music that really takes you there. Another artist that embodies that to me a Is old The Weeknd. I think it’s important for artist to use their voice to express how they truly feel because other people for sure feel the same way. This EP will forever be one of my favorites and if you haven’t listen to it I definitely recommend. Thx Sza.