What Arrowhead students think of SZA’s new album SOS

SOS was released this past Friday.  No, not the 2006 Rihanna song and no, not the ABBA classic.  Solána Rowe, known by stage name SZA, released her first album in over half a decade and second studio album, “SOS” is out and features collaborations with Don Toliver, Travis Scott, and even Phoebe Bridgers.  The R&B artist’s hour-long compilation of work received over 68 million streams in its first day on Spotify—breaking the record for the most streams an album of this genre has received.

The album artwork depicts Rowe sitting on the end of a white diving board as she stares out to a large body of water; according to an interview with Hot 97, Rowe was inspired by a 1997 photo of Princess Diana for the cover artwork.  

“I just loved how isolated she felt, and that was what I wanted to convey the most” said Rowe to interviewer Nessa Diab.

Rowe will embark on the “SOS North American Tour” this spring.  “Evergreen” artist Omar Apollo will open this tour.  For those in Hartland interested in going—the closest show is at the United Center in Chicago on February 22, 2023.

Tickets can be bought here.

How did Arrowhead students receive her signal? 

“Ten outta ten, ten outta ten” says sophomore Dannie Pikalec.

Senior Clare Zussman says that her favorite song is “Kill Bill”

“And that’s so basic but I don’t care.  It’s good,” says Zussman.

Many AHS students said they were shocked by the fact that Rowe, an artist known for R&B, and Phoebe Bridgers, a folk artist, have a collaboration on this record; Rowe shared a video to Twitter of a fan screaming in inferred excitement in response to the announcement.

On the collaboration, titled “Ghost in the Machine,” senior Onesti Ekholm says that she “wasn’t expecting it to be good” but “the song was good.”

The “Good Days” singer is known online for her potentially hard to understand enunciation.  Some on social media refer to her singing as a separate language, called “Szanese.”

“It’s hard to understand, yes, but that’s part of the appeal,” says senior Kate Sprinkman on Rowe’s enunciation.

“It’s like playing Sims,” says Sprinkman.