After the highly renowned Ctrl album and long-awaited sophomore album SOS, many SZA fans were eager to know when they would see her again. After the five-year gap from Ctrl to SOS there was an expectation for a new project to take a couple of years, but just two years later the SOS Deluxe: LANA was released.
Yes, LANA is the deluxe edition of SOS, but it’s a borderline whole new album that stands on its own. With 15 tracks added onto the original 23, the SOS Deluxe: LANA is grandeur; containing 38 tracks and a runtime of 1 hour and 53 minutes.
These tracks have a similar feel to the ones on Ctrl, which was exactly what I wanted from this project. The main descriptor I feel fits best is “earthy” as the tracks feel fairly calm, grounded, and introspective. This earthy tone is also built up by the visuals for the album – having lots of plants and bug imagery.
One of the most attractive features of this album is its honesty; a quality I find present in most if not all of SZA’s work.
“No More Hiding” kicks off the album with this potent honesty and self-reflective theme that flows through the whole project. The lines “No more hiding // I wanna feel sun on my skin // Even if it burns or blinds me // I wanna be purified within” and “No more hiding // I wanna be real me, ugly // No more fake me fighting // I wanna know what’s underneath” beautifully illustrate the image of an individual doing their best to evolve into a better version of themselves. The production includes a faint rain sound that wraps the whole song in a calming tone.
The appropriately titled tenth track “Crybaby” confronts the idea of being an overly sensitive and emotional person. The concept of Murphy’s Law is prevalent throughout the song, that being “anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” This perfectly fits into the theme of being a “crybaby” and whining about how everything is going wrong in your life, “‘Cause all I seem to do is get in my way // Then blame you, it’s just a cycle, I’m so psycho // You so sick, I’m so sick of me, too // Call me Miss Crybaby”. The song ends with the line “I know you told stories about me // Most of them awful, all of them true” which shows a lot of maturity and self-awareness.
“Saturn” was a single released on February 22, 2024, and is the final track off of LANA. This song is the full embodiment of what this project represents; a reflection on one’s life, flaws, achievements, and hardships that every person will experience. The overarching idea of leaving Earth to escape everything is palpable, especially through the lines, “If there’s another universe // Please make some noise // Give me a sign // This can’t be life // If there’s a point to losing love // Repeating pain // It’s all the same // I hate this place”.
Another set of lyrics goes as follows: “If karma’s really real // How am I still here? // Just seems so unfair // I could be wrong though // If there’s a point to being good // Then where’s my reward? // The good die young and poor // I gave it all I could”. This feels like it follows the grand question that riddles human existence; “why?” Why be good? Why do bad things happen? Why has everything turned out the way it has? Why, why, why? Even though these questions feel very bleak, the song has a nearly hopeful feel to it. That despite all of the hardships there is a way to move forward – even if in small increments.
This release is all about looking at yourself in the mirror and stripping away any veil that you use to deceive yourself. It is pure, raw, and free-spirited… an album that connects you to nature like no other. With the addition of this album’s production on top of the incredibly relatable concepts and lyrics, there is no question that it is a must-listen.
