SZA is a 24-year-old singer, songwriter and rapper from the Bronx. She released her debut album, CTRL (an acronym for “control”), in January 2017. The album reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart, making SZA the third female rapper to do so after Nicki Minaj and Kendrick Lamar. She’s also known for being part of a hip-hop group called The Arcana that featured Chance the Rapper, Vic Mensa and Joey Purp (who now goes by “JP”).

Her Real Name Is Solána Imani Rowe

Solána Imani Rowe is the true name of SZA, and she was born on December 9, 1990, in the city of St. Louis, in the state of Missouri. She was raised by her mother and her father—a Muslim whose parents were Christian—and spent most of her time listening to R&B music that he would play on the stereo. As a child, SZA also took ballet dancing classes at local studios; however, she later lost interest in this hobby because it didn’t feel “right” for her anymore (although she still enjoys watching movies).

She Used to Be in the Hip-Hop Trio, The ARC

When SZA was a teenager, she was part of a hip-hop trio called The ARC with her brother and a childhood friend. The band released two albums between 2006 and 2014.

Z (2014) was SZA’s first solo album since The ARC’s split. It peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and included the hits “The Weekend” and “Love Galore.” She followed up with Ctrl (2016), which debuted at No. 8 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart despite being released independently through TDE Records through an agreement between them; Ctrl went on to sell over 250k copies within its first week alone!

A Muslim Father and a Christian Mother in New Jersey raised SZA.

SZA’s father is Muslim, and her mother is Christian. Her father is a former Marine who grew up in Jamaica. His second nursing wife lives in Detroit.

SZA’s mother is African-American and grew up in Alabama before moving to New Jersey. She met SZA’s father as an emergency room nurse at a local hospital. The two married and had two children together: one daughter named Vida Blue (who died at age 18) and another son named Isaiah Blue III [the name “SZA” came from him].

SZA Goes by the Nickname, Super Z or Sizzle

You may know her as SZA or Sizzle, but she was born Solána Imani Rowe. She is of African-American and Native American descent, and she has one older brother who is also a rapper.

SZA grew up in Maplewood, NJ (also known as the “Hipster Mecca”). Here’s what you need to know about her hometown: it’s historically been an industrial town with a large African-American population; however, today, it’s more white than black. This demographic shift can be seen in many aspects of life there—for example; there are now fewer peanut butter or jelly sandwiches served at school lunchtime than when I attended elementary school (around 10 years ago).

She’s Been Open About Her Struggle With Acne

SZA has spoken openly about her acne struggle, which she was diagnosed with at 16. She said she first noticed it when she was 14 and had already gained 40 pounds from her naturally thin frame. She’s also talked about how PCOS can cause you to gain weight around your face and neck, which makes your skin break out more easily.

In an interview with Billboard magazine, SZA said she hopes to write a song about her experiences with acne in the future: “I’m trying to figure out if I could really write a song [about] my experience of being on hormonal birth control and then getting off of it because I had acne.”

sza new album Update

SZA’s sophomore album, titled S.O.S., was released on December 9th. There are a wide variety of musical styles represented on the album’s 23 brand-new tracks. You could say that people are excited about the new release.

She Released Her First Three Projects in 2012

2012 was the year SZA released her first three projects, which were the mixtapes S and Z (2011) and ZS (2012). In addition to these two mixtapes, she also released an album titled The Weekend that year.

In an interview with The Guardian in 2015, she said: “I think I just fell into the whole thing of making music. I didn’t know what else to do at all.” She’s since released six more albums by 2019: All We Need (2013), TNGHT EP (2014), CTRL (2015), Ctrl Alt Delete EP(2016), Love Galore EP(2017), and ATLANTA LP(2018).

Her Debut Album, CTRL, Was Nearly Finished When She Deleted It All From Exhaustion

SZA’s debut album CTRL was nearly finished when she deleted it all from exhaustion. It was a difficult time for the singer, who had been working on the album for years and was frustrated by its lack of direction. After deleting all but six songs from the project, she started with a new concept and approach.

“I just wanted to record some music,” SZA told The Fader in an interview published Monday (July 1). “I felt like I wanted to go back into making some new dreams come true, which is what I do every day.”

Robyn Was a Big Inspiration for CTRL, and SZA Calls It “Her Depression Album”

SZA’s debut album Ctrl inspired Robyn, who taught her that you can be an artist and still have friends.

“Robyn is my favourite artist,” SZA said in an interview with the Fader last year. “And I think that if you listen to those records, especially on this album … there’s something about being vulnerable and real.”

Her Voice is Influenced by Lauryn Hill and Billie Holiday

SZA’s voice is characterized by her ability to switch between singing and rapping. Her ability to switch back and forth between two distinctly different forms of music has resulted in comparisons between herself and Lauryn Hill, who uses this same technique in her work (or at least it used to). But these comparisons don’t stop there: SZA has also been compared to Billie Holiday.

Billie Holiday’s vocals are often considered one of the most influential voices of all time—and they’re not just because she was an excellent singer; they were also quite possibly one of the first female voices you’d hear that could match up against male voices like Louis Armstrong or Ella Fitzgerald when it came time for jazz standards. Billie paved the way for other women on stage when she performed with bandleaders like Duke Ellington or Benny Goodman during their heyday from the 1930s through the 1950s, respectively—and these men weren’t afraid either!

Sza is making waves as a new artist reviving an old style.

SZA is making waves as a new artist reviving an old style. She has a unique voice, which she’s been developing since her childhood in Compton, California. Old-school artists influence her, like Lauryn Hill and Billie Holiday, and some newer names, like Isaiah Rashad and Chance the Rapper.

Her debut album Ctrl was released on April 7 2017, with features from Kendrick Lamar, who also produced two tracks on it (and just released his album Coloring Book). The album debuted at number 1 on Billboard 200, selling 190k first-week copies, making it one of the most successful debuts by any female artist ever!

Conclusion

SZA is a unique artist with a unique sound. She has taken the old-school approach to mixing hip-hop and R&B and created something new. She was raised in New Jersey by a Muslim father and a Christian mother, so her music is influenced by both sides of her upbringing. With all this said, we’ve only just begun to see what she can do as an artist!