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5 Ways SZA's SOS Tour Proves She's The Vulnerable Voice of Her Time

SZA masterfully created a cinematic stage with her inimitable sensation 'SOS.' The show served not only as spectacular production, but a testament to her ability to be a vessel of comfort to countless fans.

When SZA and Doja Cat won a GRAMMY for their joint effort on the ebullient "Kiss Me More" in 2022, Doja underscored exactly what makes SZA brilliant. "You are the epitome of talent. You're a lyricist," she said. "You're everything ."

Eight months later, SZA debuted her second album, SOS , solidifying her status as a force in the industry. SOS spent 10 weeks at No.1 on the Billboard 200 — the most a female artist has spent dominating the chart in nearly seven years.

A SZA song often feels as if someone peeked in your diary during those times where you're unabashedly crazy — like the fully ovulating character itching for attention on SOS 's "F2F" — and instead of calling someone you shouldn't, you hurl it out on the pages. Her music unexpectedly strikes your heart with how acerbic the lyrics are, until you feel it burst with a memory your brain has tried forgetting. SZA flourishes in the uncomfortable, and it's why she's taken the world by storm.

As a result, SZA has spent a majority of 2023 playing arenas around North America and Europe on the SOS Tour, kicking off a second U.S. leg in September. Throughout the 90-minute show, SZA deluged fans with a glorious performance that frames her journey with a mesmerizing visual feast — and proves she's one of the most vulnerable voices of her generation.

Below, explore five ways SZA's tour underscores how she flawlessly cemented herself as the industry's most poignant storytellers.

She Brings Personal Journeys To The Silver Screen

What makes SZA's SOS Tour such a feat is the intricate storytelling weaved through every inch of it; the set list chronicles her simultaneous uninhibited fury and palpable loneliness in the voyage to forgiveness.

Every part of SZA's concert felt intentional. True to form, she tightly and creatively translated her discography into an ambitious five distinct parts — representing the versions of SZA that live on in her all at once, all of which were completely relatable. 

First was the version of SZA where she blithely accepted surface-level interpretations of life and love. She began the show balanced precariously on a diving board and overlooking a projected version of the ocean, before her pre-recorded shadow leapt into the unknown. As she blended flawless choreography with joyous jumps during "Ghost In the Machine" — and a middle finger flip — the stage is completely empty, underscoring the rawness of her naivete. 

The set then transformed smoothly into the "CTRL Fishing Boat," with SZA the Siren helming the ship to protect herself against the world during coming-of-age tracks from her 2017 debut, CTRL , like "Garden (Say It Like Dat)." Climbing onto a floating stage and traversing across the arena, SZA showered the crowd with flower petals as she sang painfully insecure songs like "Special" — offering herself as a source of solace, even when recalling moments when others made her hate herself.

SZA stood up in the suspended lifeboat and put her mic away for a few moments to hear the enormity of the crowd dutifully chanting the chorus: "I wish I was special." It proved itself to be a cathartic moment for both artist and audience — unfurling the hurt behind an ex who made them feel like a "loser," but then finding unity in those all-consuming moments of self-flagellation. 

Once she returned to the stage, it appeared submerged underwater, complete with a gargantuan anchor. It was a fitting metaphor for the vitriolic narrative of "Kill Bill": What if you do drown? What if you don't make it out of the storm and can't see beyond the fact your former fling has moved on? What happens now? When she belts "I did it all for love!" she throws her hands in the air, surrendering herself to the anguish and then flipping it to agency. 

Then, in a fitting performance of SOS ' vivacious lead single, "Good Days," SZA is on top of the diving board once more, but this time, the skies are clear. Staring at the reflection of herself in the water meant having to confront even the ugliest parts of her own story, even in front of an audience — and she did it with unparalleled equanimity.

Through it all, SZA herself becomes both the hero and villain of the story — someone we root for when she realizes why she jumped in the first place, someone to scream at when she can't help but revert back to her old ways.

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She Isn't Afraid To Strip Down Emotionally (And Literally)

The show also highlighted that SZA has drowned out the noise of negative comments of the past — like accusations of procedures and panned live performances — with her most powerful form of protest yet: barrelling through them head on. She acknowledges all of it in an incendiary performance of the album's titular intro, clad in all black, and brazenly throws it back to the haters. Negative comments were no longer allowed to register in SZA's universe — especially when she was too busy giving one of the most masterful performances of her career. "That ass so fat, it looks natural. It's not!" she searingly screamed, and grasped her derrière to drive the point home. 

In another bold move, she allowed a camera backstage to record and project to the entirety of Barclays Center her stripping down to her undergarments in order to change costumes. Before diving into admissions of a hellish situationship that helped her come to terms with sex as a source of power on "The Weekend," she poured a water bottle on herself as the initial beats of the song played, rendering her white dress nearly see-through — taking the intimacy of the show and her own command of her sexuality to the next level. 

There's a direct throughline when SZA sings her most blistering work — her delivery is drastically different than what is offered on the studio-recorded versions of the song. While she doesn't offer much commentary throughout the run of the concert, her lyrical professions of desire, loneliness and fear often speak for themselves. 

During the beloved "Normal Girl" — a track that served as an attempt to answer exactly why she can't somehow, someway stop feeling out of place in all avenues of her life — she modulates her vocals to deliver a simultaneously sad and sanguine version, smiling towards the end and taking a few moments to collect herself when the emotions ran high. 

She Serves In Sickness And In Health

A few days ahead of her New York shows, SZA canceled her Toronto show because she had gotten sick and could not sing. And as she admitted towards the end of her Brooklyn show on Oct. 6, she was still "not feeling good." Yet, any evidence of illness was undetectable.

SZA managed to take her audience through her self-destruction and subsequent evolution, giving every performance her absolute best, no matter what. From sharp vocal performances to agile choreography, it was clear she was determined to put on a show. 

Even so, she made it a point to indulge in fan-favorite moves. Fans banged along their heads with her to the thunderously punk-kissed beat of "F2F" as she ran up and down the boat on stage and delivered a flawless "I f— him because I miss you!" with shameless finality. Drop-splitting to the ground during "Low," she activated her fierce vocals, never missing a beat as she writhed around on stage.

She Makes Her Show A Moment To Let Go

SZA's music isn't always an easy listen — and that is entirely by design. As a result, there's a space for everyone on the tour; songs like "Good Days" for those who have been therapized and healed, and "Kill Bill" for those who may or may not be plotting against their ex. 

Because of SZA's ability to make every second feel like revelatory magic, the show quickly felt more like a diaristic get-together rather than a stop on a tour. "Is everybody o-f—king-k?" she said, regularly doing quick check-ins before starting a track. 

Naturally, there were rarely people seated in the entire arena. And just about every fan was belting out lyrics (or Szalations, as fans would refer to it) and matching her energy beat-for-beat. Crooning her revelatory songs about simultaneously growing older, yet never wiser, she got on her knees and adeptly belted in one of her best vocal performances of the night with "Drew Barrymore," taking her earpiece out to hear fans dedicatedly repeat every single line along with her. 

She Celebrates Her Fans

Despite the fact that she still felt under the weather, SZA bounded the stage for a few minutes after the end credits for her show rolled — but in her signature IDGAF manner, clad in a fuzzy robe and slippers. 

SZA was determined to continue her tradition of choosing the most dedicated fans to bring backstage and meet her. She was eager to honor people like the fan who proudly waved a sign all night, declaring they've already been to four of her SOS Tour stops. Cautious of getting anyone sick, she promised the fans she picked at her Brooklyn show that they would receive merchandise and free tickets to her next show instead. 

It becomes more and more apparent as SZA's fame grows boundless that she fiercely understands her music's core purpose in the industry — to be a vessel of comfort for her fans. Despite the romantic underpinnings of track "Nobody Gets Me," as she performed it atop the floating lifecraft, she emphasized the line "Nobody gets me but you, " while pointing down to the crowd.

The magic of SZA's music is that she manages to capture the emotions most are afraid to fully feel. Her biting words and brutal honesty make contending with vulnerability feel a little less like drowning and more so like floating. 

SOS and the accompanying tour wasn't a cry for help; it was a signal to all those ready to reminisce on and rewrite the reality of growing up. If there's one thing SZA proves with her SOS Tour, it's that she understands how to cultivate a space for vulnerability to bloom — and for everyone to feel a little less lonely. 

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GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Doja Cat & SZA Tearfully Accept Their First GRAMMYs For "Kiss Me More"

Relive the moment the pair's hit "Kiss Me More" took home Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, which marked the first GRAMMY win of their careers.

As Doja Cat put it herself, the 2022 GRAMMYs were a "big deal" for her and SZA .

Doja Cat walked in with eight nominations, while SZA entered the ceremony with five. Three of those respective nods were for their 2021 smash "Kiss Me More," which ultimately helped the superstars win their first GRAMMYs.

In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind , revisit the night SZA and Doja Cat accepted the golden gramophone for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance — a milestone moment that Doja Cat almost missed.

"Listen. I have never taken such a fast piss in my whole life," Doja Cat quipped after beelining to the stage. "Thank you to everybody — my family, my team. I wouldn't be here without you, and I wouldn't be here without my fans."

Before passing the mic to SZA, Doja also gave a message of appreciation to the "Kill Bill" singer: "You are everything to me. You are incredible. You are the epitome of talent. You're a lyricist. You're everything."

SZA began listing her praises for her mother, God, her supporters, and, of course, Doja Cat. "I love you! Thank you, Doja. I'm glad you made it back in time!" she teased.

"I like to downplay a lot of s— but this is a big deal," Doja tearfully concluded. "Thank you, everybody."

Press play on the video above to hear Doja Cat and SZA's complete acceptance speech for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2022 GRAMMY Awards, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.

How 'SOS' Transformed SZA Into A Superstar & Solidified Her As The Vulnerability Queen

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10 Acceptance Speeches That Made Us Laugh, Cry, & Smile At The 2024 GRAMMYs

From Taylor Swift's record-shattering Album Of The Year win, to Killer Mike and boygenius category sweeps, these are the emotional GRAMMY winning moments that made up Music's Biggest Night.

Glitz, glamor, and great performances from legendary musicians are only part of what make the GRAMMYs Music’s Biggest Night. It’s also an occasion to honor the music industry’s best and brightest, highlight their greatest achievements from the past year, and watch them soak up the glory. 

Some of the night’s biggest moments came when artists accepted their GRAMMY trophies, from Taylor Swift announcing her next album to teary-eyed moments from SZA and Best New Artist Victoria Monét . Here are a few of our favorite acceptance speeches from the 2024 GRAMMYs. 

Killer Mike Sweeps With Three GRAMMYs In A Row

Atlanta rapper Killer Mike had already given a moving speech upon winning Best Rap Performance for “Scientists & Engineers,” saying “I want to thank everyone who dares to believe that art can change the world.” But his third and final win, Best Rap Album for Michael , sent him into another dimension: “It’s a sweep! Atlanta, it’s a sweep!” 

Tyla Was Shocked To Win Best African Performance

Although her hit song “Water” has dominated the charts, even Tyla was caught off guard by her Best African Music Performance win – the first ever awarded in this category – exclaiming “What the heck?!” The South African star continued "This is crazy, I never thought I’d say I won a GRAMMY at 22 years old."

Boygenius Sweep The Rock Categories

Boygenius already had something to celebrate when Phoebe Bridgers won a GRAMMY for her collab with SZA. They went on to win three categories during the Premiere Ceremony – Best Rock Song, Best Rock Performance, and Best Rock Album – enabling each member of the trio to give a separate speech. “We were all delusional enough as kids to think this might happen someday,” Lucy Dacus said. 

Miley Cyrus Was A Class Act

Accepting the prize for Best Pop Solo Performance for “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus took to the stage to strike a pose with presenter Mariah Carey – “This M.C. is gonna stand by this M.C.” — before launching into a story about a boy who tries desperately to catch a butterfly, before nabbing one when they least expect it. “This song ‘Flowers’ is my butterfly,” she concluded. 

SZA Runs From Backstage To Accept Award

Changing backstage after her GRAMMYs performance , SZA was caught off guard when “Snooze” won Best R&B Song. She embraced friend and presenter Lizzo before giving an emotional, funny speech. “I can’t believe this is happening, and it feels very fake,” she said. “I love you, I’m not an attractive cryer, have a good evening.” 

Taylor Swift Announces New Album

When the pop mega-star took to the stage to accept her lucky 13th overall GRAMMY for Best Pop Vocal Album ( Midnights ), she decided to use the moment to give her fans the ultimate gift, announcing her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department , will release on April 19. “I want to say thank you by telling you a secret that I've been keeping from you for the past two years,” she said. 

Billie Eilish Didn’t Know What To Say

After delivering a lovely performance of her Barbie movie ballad “What Was I Made For?,” Billie Eilish wasn’t exactly at a loss for words when the track won Song of the Year . The words that came out of her mouth were a bit less than rehearsed, however: “Whoa, whoops, yikes, whoa my goodness! Damn, that’s stupid guys!” she said. “I don’t even know what to say, I’m shocked out of my balls.” 

Victoria Monét Delivers Tearful, Eloquent Speech

Through tears of joy, Best New Artist winner Victoria Monét gave a speech worthy of an artist who spent years writing for others before striking out on her own. “This award was a 15-year pursuit,” she said, going on to compare herself to a plant growing in the soil of the music industry. “My roots have been growing underneath ground, unseen, for so long, and I feel like today I’m sprouting, finally above ground.” 

Miley Cyrus Makes An Even Wilder Record of the Year Speech

Cyrus returned to the stage twice after her first GRAMMY win, first to perform her award-winning song , and then once more to accept a second golden gramophone for Record of the Year. “This award is amazing, but I really hope it doesn’t change anything, because my life was beautiful yesterday,” she said. Then she ended the speech by saying “I don’t think I’ve forgotten anyone, but I might’ve forgotten underwear!”

Taylor Swift’s Record-Shattering Album of the Year

Lightning struck twice for Taylor Swift, as the evening ended with her taking home a record-breaking fourth GRAMMY for Album of the Year ( Midnights ), more than any other artist in GRAMMY history. Flanked by producer Jack Antonoff and friend and collaborator Lana Del Rey , she gave a speech that highlighted her passion for music-making, saying  “For me the award is the work. All I wanna do is keep being able to do this. I love it so much, it makes me so happy." As happy as Swift was, her fans probably left even happier. 

9 Ways Women Dominated The 2024 GRAMMYs

Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

From Taylor Swift and Tyla's historic wins, to Miley Cyrus' first GRAMMYs and Joni Mitchell's first performance, the 66th GRAMMY Awards put ladies first.

Women shined particularly bright at Music's Biggest Night this year. As Trevor Noah put it in his monologue: "There’s a band that has already won today called boygenius , it’s three women. That’s how good a year it is for women."

Beyond boygenius' first GRAMMY wins, the conversation about female artists' legacy at the 2024 GRAMMYs had been building since the nominations were announced, when it was revealed that seven of the eight nominees for Album Of The Year were women. The majority of the performers for the 66th GRAMMY Awards were also women, including the legendary Joni Mitchell , Billie Eilish , SZA , and Dua Lipa . And several female artists were on the precipice of making history (chief among them, Taylor Swift , who later became the first ever four-time winner of Album Of The Year.

The results of the ceremony were no less centered on the ladies. At the Premiere Ceremony, Julien Baker , Phoebe Bridgers , and Lucy Dacus won three of the six Rock Categories for their work as boygenius . Lainey Wilson nabbed Best Country Album, Joni Mitchell won Best Folk Album, and Victoria Monét won Best R&B Album and Best New Artist. Gaby Moreno , Karol G and Tyla nabbed trophies as well.

As the night went on, that tally continued. In fact, other than Producer Of The Year and Songwriter Of Year, a woman won every category in the General Field, including Billie Eilish 's "What Was I Made For?" winning Song of the Year and Taylor Swift's Midnights pulling off the big fourth Album Of The Year win.

From every corner of the room, Music’s Biggest Night was filled with powerful women taking the spotlight. Here are eight moments where women ruled the 2024 GRAMMYs — with no sign of this reign ending.

Taylor Swift Hits Lucky Number 13 (And 14, Too)

While it’s true that Taylor Swift’s name has been at the center of what feels like 98 percent of music in the past year, and that continued at the 2024 GRAMMYs. Much speculation ahead of the 66th GRAMMY Awards came down to whether she would make history by winning her fourth Album Of The Year award.

Adding to the excitement, the iconic Celine Dion surprised the world and took the stage to announce the winner for the night’s final award, and it happened: "Taylor Swift."

Rather than bask in her own glory, Swift seemed shocked, fumbling to get a high-five and hug connected with close friend and uber-producer Jack Antonoff . And her acceptance speech made it clear that while she appreciated and was honored by the award, she wasn’t about to rest on any laurels, no matter how massive they may be.

"I would love to tell you that this is the best moment of my life, but I feel this happy when I finish a song, or when I crack the code to a bridge I love, or when I'm shot-listing a music video, or when I'm rehearsing with my dancers or my band, or getting ready to go to Tokyo to play a show," she said. "For me the award is the work. All I wanna do is keep being able to do this. I love it so much, it makes me so happy."

True to that word, the evening also featured Swift announcing a new album — after Midnights won Best Pop Vocal Album (her lucky number 13th GRAMMY) earlier in the night, Swift made the surprise announcement that she’d be releasing her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department , on April 19.

There was something inspiring, too, about the way Swift got to the stage — practically yanking Lana Del Rey from her seat at the same table, demanding she join her onstage. "I think so many female artists would not be where they are and would not have the inspiration they have if it weren’t for the work that she’s done," Swift told the assembly. "She’s a legacy artist, a legend in her prime right now."

Always a booster of other women in the industry, of course she had to share the spotlight even with her history-making fourth Album Of The Year award in hand.

Tracy Chapman Returns To The GRAMMY Stage

Sure, it was Luke Combs nominated for Best Country Solo Performance, but he made it crystal clear that he was there because of Tracy Chapman .

"That was my favorite song before I even knew what a favorite song was," he said in a video package prior to his performance, evocatively describing trips in his dad’s pickup truck, Chapman’s self-titled debut on the cassette player. Combs loved the song so much, he explained, that he wanted to put a cover of it on his 2023 album, Gettin' Old .

He went on to laud its universal appeal, the way Chapman’s chorus gets full-throated sing-alongs no matter the listener’s background — a powerful message, considering that Combs’ recording winning the Country Music Awards' Song Of The Year award made Chapman the first Black woman to receive that honor. "To be associated with her in any way is super humbling for me," Combs said.

The show transitioned from that heartfelt praise directly to Chapman’s hand on her guitar neck, picking out that iconic acoustic riff. Thirty-five years after its initial release, there was Chapman again on the GRAMMYs stage, this time dueting with a country star clearly in awe of sharing her space, mouthing along with the lines he wasn’t singing. It was an unforgettable performance, astonishing in its ability to pull us all out of our bodies and into the spirit of music.

The Endless Allure Of SZA

"Nobody got more nominations this year than SZA," Trevor Noah announced during his opening monologue — and that was after the experimental R&B artist born Solana Rowe had already won two GRAMMYs at the Premiere Ceremony earlier in the evening.

SZA had many more special moments left in the night. She performed a section of the GRAMMY-nominated "Snooze" in a black trenchcoat and hat, and the blade-wielding rebuke triggered the transition to another smash hit from 2022’s SOS : "Kill Bill". The cinematic performance featured a squad of leather-clad woman assassins slicing and dicing a series of men in suits, as SZA effortlessly walked the stage to deliver the world’s sweetest anthem centered on homicide. (For the record, the sight of Phoebe Bridgers’ outright glee at the sight of a sword-wielding dancer standing on her table at the song’s outset has to go down as one of the night’s best moments.)

Later, she would take home the GRAMMY for Best R&B Song for "Snooze" — her tally of three awards tying for the second largest of any artist at the 66th GRAMMY Awards. SZA was handed the golden gramophone by Lizzo , the two women clearly sharing a special moment.

"Lizzo and I have been friends since 2013 when we were both on a tiny Red Bull tour, opening up in small rooms for like 100 people. And to be on the stage with her is so amazing, I’m so grateful," SZA said after sprinting onstage, having just changed out of her performance attire. The tearful, brief acceptance speech that followed showed the incredibly honest and passionate person — and performer — that she is.

Boygenius Win Their First GRAMMY Awards

For a trio of badasses like boygenius , one or two GRAMMYs just wouldn’t do. They needed an award apiece: Best Rock Performance, Best Alternative Music Album, and Best Rock Song (all handed to them by queer icon Rufus Wainwright , no less). Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus sprinted down the aisle in their matching white suits at the Premiere Ceremony, giddy, shocked, together.

Befitting the trio’s history — both together and separately — as brilliant writers and lyricists, each had their own memorable line. 

"Music saved my life. Everyone can be in a band, this band is my family," Baker said, beaming after they won the Best Rock Performance award. "We were all delusional enough as kids to think that this might happen to us one day," Dacus said with a laugh. But just two days after the public announcement that the band was going on hiatus to focus on their own solo projects, it was this quick aside from Bridgers during their acceptance for Best Rock Song that brought the warmth: "I owe these boys everything. I love you guys so much." 

Tyla Makes Africa Proud

Trevor Noah may have been the host, but he wasn't the only one bringing South African flavor to the 2024 GRAMMYs.

"What the heck!?" Tyla said earlier in the evening at the Premiere Ceremony, grinning as her Johannesburg accent dripping with gleeful shock. At just 22 years old and a month out from even releasing her debut studio album, the viral pop star was nominated in the stacked inaugural Category of Best African Music Performance , including Asake & Olamide , Burna Boy , Davido and Musa Keys , and Ayra Starr . But it was Tyla’s "Water" — an amapiano-driven pop instant classic — that took home the award.

The song had already made history, as the first South African single to reach the Billboard Hot 100 since jazz legend Hugh Masekela achieved that feat in 1968, not to mention that the song reaching number seven made Tyla the highest-charting African female solo musician in Billboard history. 

"If you don’t know me, my name is Tyla, I’m from South Africa, and last year God decided to change my whole life," she said, the glow of the GRAMMY gold radiating on her face.

Annie Lennox Knows We Are Never Forgotten

The In Memoriam segment inevitably provides some of the most touching moments of any GRAMMY Awards. But every once in a while, a truly special performance will stand out amidst the heartache. Such was the case with Annie Lenox ’s tear-stained performance of "Nothing Compares 2 U" from the late Sinéad O’Connor . The Eurythmics vocalist sat piano-side, a tear-like streak of glitter applied below her left eye, delivering the Irish legend’s best-loved song with every ounce of gravitas the moment demanded — and then some.

"Nothing compares/ Nothing compares to you," she sang with her eyes gazing skyward, before clenching them tight, her lips quivering. And as the song rounded to a finish, Lenox raised a fist, and spoke a simple, direct sentence that the outspoken activist O'Connor surely would have appreciated: "Artists for ceasefire, peace in the world."

Joni Mitchell Proves It's Never Too Late For Firsts

When word got out that Joni Mitchell would be making her first performance at the GRAMMYs, the global anticipation for the ceremony seemed to hit a boiling point. Since recovering from a brain aneurysm in 2015, Mitchell has been stepping into the spotlight more in recent years, but the thought of her onstage at the 66th GRAMMY Awards still felt miraculous.

But then there was Brandi Carlile , extolling Mitchell’s many virtues before introducing one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time. "Joni just turned 80 my friends, but we all know she’s timeless," Carlile smiled, noting as well that "the matriarch of imagination" had already won a GRAMMY that same evening for Best Folk Album. 

And then the lights came up on Joni, seated in a gold-framed armchair, clutching a cane with a silver cat’s head on its hilt, singing the first lines of the all-time classic "Both Sides Now." Backed by a band of GRAMMY-winning heroes in their own right (Carlile, along with SistaStrings, Blake Mills, Lucius, Allison Russell , and Jacob Collier ), it seems impossible that any eye in the room could have remained dry, let alone focused anywhere except right on Mitchell, with her beating heart and sky-scraping lyricism. Even Carlile, seated at her left, couldn’t stop looking up from her guitar to smile in awe.

"Well something's lost, but something's gained/ In living every day," she sang with a soft hint of a smile, before the well of strings, clarinet, guitars, and piano brought the final chorus in. 

Miley Finally Gets Her Flowers 

With what appeared to be four outfit changes between the red carpet and the stage and a sky-high, Dolly Parton -inspired brown bouffant, pop superstar Miley Cyrus delivered her fair share of memorable moments throughout the evening. Cyrus arrived at the 66th GRAMMY Awards without any GRAMMYs to her name, despite two previous nominations, a slew of hit albums, and 11 Top 10 singles dating back 17 years — which made her two wins even more noteworthy.

The GRAMMY drought ended thanks to smash single “Flowers,"which won Best Pop Solo Performance and Record Of The Year, solidifying Cyrus’ place both in GRAMMY history and as one of the year’s most celebrated pop stars. 

The former teen star took the stage at the 66th GRAMMY Awards as well, delivering “Flowers” to a star-studded — a daunting task for anyone, even a seasoned star. But it should have come as no surprise that Cyrus would be comfortable in that spotlight, as evidenced by her joking question for the entire room (and, it seemed, viewers at home, too): "Why are you acting like you don't know this song?" 

Despite her glowing near-speechlessness at finally earning a GRAMMY, the comfortable quips didn’t stop there. "I don't think I forgot anyone, but I might've forgotten underwear... bye!" she exclaimed before zipping offstage with her brand new GRAMMY hardware.

Celine & Mariah: Presenters Make History, Too

Even when just presenting awards, powerful women were at the forefront at the 66th GRAMMY Awards. The evening’s first presenter was Mariah Carey , onstage just three days after receiving the Impact Award from the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective. The five-time GRAMMY-winner received the honor for her art’s influence and her inspirational legacy of service — and considering the ovation in the room, that impact was felt by her peers as well as the fans watching along at home.

Carey was presenting for Best Pop Solo Performance, and used her inimitable falsetto to deliver the ecstatic announcement: "And yes, this year all five nominees are women!" The sight of Carey handing Miley Cyrus her first GRAMMY (in honor of disco-tinged bop "Flowers") was, as Miley aptly put it, "too iconic."

While that opening set the stage for women dominating the show, the other bookend to the evening’s awards proved perhaps even more tear-jerking. At the end of 2023, the update came that Celine Dion’s battle with the rare neurological disorder "stiff person syndrome" had left the legendary vocalist without full control of her muscles, sometimes causing trouble walking or even using her vocal cords. As such, the sight of her walking down the golden tunnel and up to the microphone to announce the nominees for Album Of The Year felt like a special honor in and of itself.

"When I say that I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart," she said. "Those who have been blessed enough to be here at the GRAMMY Awards must never take for granted the tremendous love and joy that music brings to our lives and to people all around the world."

Dion offering those lines — that positivity and beauty in the face of unprecedented difficulty — before presenting the award that would make history for Taylor Swift felt so fitting, emblematic of the powerful women who made the evening what it was.

Check Out The Full Winners & Nominees List For The 2024 GRAMMYs

Photo: Valerie Macon / AFP) (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images

2024 GRAMMYs: Miley Cyrus Wins The GRAMMY For Record Of The Year for "Flowers"

2024 GRAMMYs: Miley Cyrus Wins The GRAMMY for Record Of The Year for "Flowers"

Miley Cyrus has won Record of the Year at the 2024 GRAMMYs for her hit “Flowers.”

Accepting the award with her production team, Cyrus was irreverent and self-effacing, especially after having already won her first ever Golden Gramophone for Best Pop Solo Performance earlier in the evening.

“This award is amazing, but I really hope it doesn’t change anything, because my life was beautiful yesterday,” Cyrus said.

The pop singer beat out Lana Del Rey , Taylor Swift , Jon Batiste , Dua Lipa , SZA , Olivia Rodrigo , and Billie Eilish for the award, which was presented by Mark Ronson and his mother-in-law, the actress Meryl Streep. “Flowers” was a massive commercial hit, debuting at Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 and spending eight consecutive weeks in the top spot.

As she finished her speech, during which she thanked her collaborators, their partners, and her fans, Cyrus said “I don’t think I’ve forgotten anyone, but I might’ve forgotten underwear.”

Keep checking this space for more updates from Music’s Biggest Night!

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• 1 5 Ways SZA's SOS Tour Proves She's The Vulnerable Voice of Her Time
• 2 GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Doja Cat & SZA Tearfully Accept Their First GRAMMYs For "Kiss Me More"
• 3 10 Acceptance Speeches That Made Us Laugh, Cry, & Smile At The 2024 GRAMMYs
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SZA Performs With Lizzo and Phoebe Bridgers at Final ‘SOS’ Tour Stop, Jennifer Lopez and More Celebs Attend

Jennifer Lopez and Justin Timberlake appeared in the Kia Forum crowd on March 23, while stars like Pedro Pascal, Adele and Justin Bieber attended the first night.

By Thania Garcia

Thania Garcia

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Fans at SZA ‘s Kia Forum tour stop on March 22 and 23 — the final shows of her long-awaited “SOS” tour — were spoiled with celebrity sightings and treated to surprise performances from Phoebe Bridgers and Lizzo .

Bridgers appeared on stage sporting a hoodie and jeans to join the “Kill Bill” singer in a performance of “Ghost In the Machine,” her melodious collaboration with SZA from her chart-topping sophomore album, “SOS.”

phoebe bridgers and sza performing ghost in the machine tonight! pic.twitter.com/z5Z73FCfra — lia 🚀 7 DAYS (@beeefyfridgerss) March 24, 2023

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@sza brought out @lizzo in LA 🙌 #Special 🎶 pic.twitter.com/3myv32t0Op — Power 105.1 (@Power1051) March 24, 2023

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The night prior, SZA performed in front of an even longer list of A-listers in the crowd with everyone from Justin and Hailey Bieber to Adele, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Rodrigo, Tate McRae and Kim Kardashian showing up to support.

“Bruh… this is actually too much. I’m so glad I had no idea cause I wouldn’t have come on stage,” SZA wrote on social media in response to a video of the celebrities watching her performance.

Bridgers previously joined SZA on stage for her second of two consecutive sold-out shows at the iconic Madison Square Garden arena . That same night, Cardi B made a guest appearance to sing her 2018 duet “I Do” with SZA, and also gave a performance of her 2022 feature on GloRilla’s “Tomorrow 2.”

My anxiety is worse than it’s ever been rn and I desperately need grace and space . Not personal at all to whom it may concern 🤍 love everyone . — SZA (@sza) March 22, 2023

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SZA Wraps SOS Tour in Los Angeles, CA

• Last updated: 27 Mar 2023, 16:34:47
• Published: 27 Mar 2023, 16:34:47
• Written by: Morgan Griffin-McNair
• Photography by: Andrew Chin, Getty Images
• Tagged: SZA SOS Kia Forum SZA at Kia Forum

SZA wrapped her North American arena tour on Friday (March 23). The SOS Tour, which was in support of her 2022 sophomore album of the same name, kicked off on February 21 in Columbus, Ohio and wrapped up on March 23 after two sold out shows at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, CA.

SZA's setlist remained pretty consistent across all 19 tour dates, with the singer opening her setlist with "PSA," "Seek & Destroy," and "Notice Me" off of SOS before moving on to several songs from her debut album, CTRL. While the setlist was relatively unchanged, those present for the final night of tour had the opportunity to see Phoebe Bridgers join SZA onstage for "Ghost in the Machine," just like she did earlier this month at Madison Square Garden in New York. During the fourth act of the show, SZA performed a cover of Lizzo's "Special" (she's featured on the recently released remix) and was joined on stage by none other than Lizzo herself. This remix had only been performed once before, at the LA stop of Lizzo's Special tour in November of 2022. See that setlist here .

Check out the full setlist below:

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Sza announces first-ever arena tour.

Featuring special guest Omar Apollo, the 17-city journey kicks off on Feb. 21 in Columbus, Ohio.

By DeMicia Inman

DeMicia Inman

Staff Writer, News

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SZA is taking her latest album on the road.

The singer announced The SOS Tour, her first headlining arena tour in North America. Produced by Live Nation, the domestic tour kicks off in Columbus, Ohio on Feb. 21, 2023. Before the final show in Los Angeles, the “ Normal Girl ” singer will perform in Detroit, Toronto, New York, Seattle, and more.

Fellow singer Omar Apollo is set to join SZA on the 17-city trek. Apollo, an Indiana-raised Mexican-American singer-songwriter was most recently honored with a Grammy Nomination for Best New Artist .

SZA Is Somberly Solo In “Nobody Gets Me” Music Video

“It was definitely like, ‘I doubt that this is going to be allowed to be on the album,’ but it surprisingly was,” SZA detailed of the ODB feature. “I talked to his estate. It really just came from a piece of documentary footage from Rodney Jerkins, and he was sweet enough to let me use that. [Ol’ Dirty Bastard] was freestyling in the back of the footage, so I took the audio.”

Tickets go on sale starting this Friday(Dec. 16) at 12pm local time on  szasos.com . View the 2023 dates for SZA’s SOS tour below.

THE S.O.S NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES: 

Tue Feb 21 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center

Wed Feb 22 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Fri Feb 24 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Sat Feb 25 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

Mon Feb 27 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena

Tue Feb 28 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Thu Mar 02 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center*

Sat Mar 04 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Tue Mar 07 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Thu Mar 09 – Austin, TX – Moody Center

Fri Mar 10 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

Mon Mar 13 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena

Tue Mar 14 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena

Thu Mar 16 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Sun Mar 19 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

Wed Mar 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum

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SZA live at Glastonbury 2024 review: she delivered the hits, but was it headliner-worthy?

SZA provided the soundtrack to the final sunset of Glastonbury 2024 yesterday evening at the Pyramid stage. Performing to a significantly smaller crowd than the two previous headliners ( Dua Lipa and Coldplay ), many festival-goers packed up and left soon after Shania Twain’s legends slot mid-afternoon.

Emerging from the heavens on a podium to the gentle lull of PSA, the 34-year-old New Jersey singer’s syrupy tone was immediately recognisable. The stage itself looked something akin to an Eighties sci-fi film — the mouth of a cave, complete with giant insects and echoing water droplets.

Making up for reduced crowd numbers in the back, fans up front sang twice as loudly, sacrificing the very last of their voices for tracks Love Galore and Broken Clocks. The first big cheer of the evening was in reaction to All The Stars, and again with F2F, as fans chanted the lyrics ‘F*ck ‘em ‘cause I miss you’.

SZA’s Glastonbury headline slot follows two huge years for the singer, releasing her platinum-selling, Grammy-winning album SOS in 2022, and touring it in the years since .

As well as being the person responsible for one of the biggest R&B records of recent years, it’s easy to see how the star became a global sensation. With a slew of backing dancers and polished choreography from the jump — paired with faultless, unwavering vocals — no one could dispute that she didn’t give her all.

One thing she didn’t give us was a chat, with disappointingly little audience interaction. That said, she was the first headliner this weekend to wish us ‘Happy Pride!’ before segueing into Normal Girl. One particularly satisfying moment came mid-set during I Hate U, when thousands of people screamed the lyric ‘F*ck you!’ in unison. More popular hits followed (surprisingly early on), Snooze and of course her biggest hit of all, Kill Bill, for which she danced with swords in true Uma Thurman, Samurai-style.

The show came with three costume changes and moments of calm amid the stage-crawling choreo, where she perched on either an enlarged ant or tree branch. If it weren’t for the fairy wings she wore as part of outfit three, it could have easily been a scene from Honey, I Shrunk The Kids.

SZA’s music is notably romantic, sensual and sway-worthy. The more upbeat dance moments of the set came via Kiss Me More, which led into a cover of Prince classic Kiss, and Rich Baby Daddy, a TikTok-viral track that had the crowd doing exactly what the lyrics demanded: ‘Shake that ass for me!’

The closest she came to connecting with fans was during the last song, 20 Something, which she dedicated to her ‘day ones and day ones only’, climbing onto the barrier to embrace those in the front.

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SZA put on a great show, but if she was the right choice to close Glastonbury is another matter. The missing piece was that one euphoric moment that you want from a headliner — particularly the final one — the thing that separates the performance from any other experience and places it at the greatest festival in the world, rather than simply an arena tour set.

And so, instead of a final high, SZA’s soothing, dulcet sound became an early lullaby. And as follows all good lullabies, now comes a very long sleep.

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SZA Extends ‘SOS’ North American Arena Tour Through Fall 2023

By Jon Blistein

Jon Blistein

SZA has extended her North American tour in support of her celebrated new album, SOS . Earlier this year, the singer completed 17 shows for her first-ever arena tour between February and March. Now, she’s plotting her return with 21 additional dates scheduled for this fall.

The R&B star will pick up where she left off on Sept. 20 in Miami and close out the second leg of the tour on Oct. 29 in Phoenix. The new shows include stops in Brooklyn, Toronto, Newark, Houston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and more.

Tickets for all new shows will go on sale this Friday, April 14 at 12 p.m. local time. Full details are available on SZA’s website . 

SZA released SOS on Friday, Dec. 9, five years after the arrival of her celebrated 2017 debut, Ctrl . The 23-track album featured an array of collaborators , including Travis Scott, Don Tolliver, and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard, as well as a cameo from Phoebe Bridgers on “Ghost In the Machine.” 

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Of getting SZA to “talk her shit,” as he put it, on those songs, Versace said, “I believe that spiritually our ancestors, the people around us, they can use us spiritually for whatever we’re trying to convey. I feel like that’s something that she wanted to do. I feel, even though I was telling her to talk her shit, I feel like that was something that she wanted to do too. I feel like she never really got the chance to really do that.”

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SZA Announces Her Historic First Arena Tour The S.O.S North American Tour

Featuring Special Guest Omar Apollo

New sophomore album ‘sos’ out globally now, tickets on sale starting friday, december 16 at 12pm local on szasos.com.

Off the heels of her long-awaited new sophomore album ‘SOS’, music trendsetter and icon SZA will embark on a highly anticipated arena tour this spring with support from Grammy-nominated best new artist Omar Apollo . Produced by Live Nation, the exclusive 17-city tour kicks off on February 21 at Schottenstein Center in Columbus, OH making stops across North America in Chicago, Toronto, New York, Atlanta, Seattle, Vancouver, and more before wrapping up in Los Angeles, CA, at the Kia Forum on March 22. This tour marks the first time the Grammy-award-winning artist is playing venues of this size and debuting her latest album live to fans.  

TICKETS:  Tickets go on sale starting Friday, December 16 at 12pm local time on szasos.com  

THE S.O.S NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES: 

Tue Feb 21 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center

Wed Feb 22 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Fri Feb 24 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Sat Feb 25 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

Mon Feb 27 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena

Tue Feb 28 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Thu Mar 02 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center*

Sat Mar 04 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Tue Mar 07 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Thu Mar 09 – Austin, TX – Moody Center

Fri Mar 10 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

Mon Mar 13 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena

Tue Mar 14 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena

Thu Mar 16 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Sat Mar 18 – Portland, OR – Moda Center

Sun Mar 19 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

Wed Mar 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum

Born in St. Louis and raised in Maplewood, NJ, genre-defying, and GRAMMY Award winning recording artist SZA released her major label debut album Ctrl (TDE/RCA) in 2017. Revered for its raw and honest lyrics, it landed at No. 1 on Billboard ’s R&B Albums chart, No. 2 on the R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart and No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, according to Nielsen Music. The now RIAA-certified 3xPlatinum album received five Grammy nominations in 2018 and more than half the songs on Ctrl are currently certified multi-Platinum and Gold. Ctrl remains on the Billboard 200 chart since its release in 2017 and holds the record for the longest run for any Black female artist’s debut album. In 2022 alone it sold over 600,000 units and is the 10th best-selling female album this year in the country and 50th best-selling album in 2022 overall.

SZA has won various awards since the release of Ctrl including a 2022 GRAMMY Award for Best Pop Dou/Group Performance for “Kiss Me More” with Doja Cat, Billboard Music Awards’ Top R&B Female Artist, BET Awards’ Best New Artist, BET Soul Train Awards’ Best R&B/Soul Female Artist and Best New Artist, MTV Video Music Awards’ Best Visual Effects for the “All The Stars” with Kendrick Lamar, and NAACP Image Awards’ Outstanding New Artist. In 2019, she won NAACP Image Awards’ Outstanding Duo or Group for “All The Stars” with Kendrick Lamar and Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation for the Black Panther Soundtrack . SZA also received Billboard’s 2019 Women in Music Rule Breaker award.

To this day, SZA continues to set the standard on creativity and songwriting, while shattering records with over 7.2 billion streams worldwide across all platforms. To close out the trying year of 2020, SZA gifted fans on Christmas Day with the hopeful track “Good Days.” Grammy-nominated for Best R&B Song, the single quickly became SZA’s greatest gainer solo single release, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and marking her first time in the chart’s top ten as the main artist. December 2021, SZA scored her second lead artist top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart with the official release of “I Hate U,” which debuted at #7. The song also entered at #1 on both Spotify and Apple Music US charts and broke the record for the most streamed R&B song by a female artist on Apple Music in its first week.  “Shirt,” her most recent single has garnered over 60 million streams globally since its release in October. SZA’s long-awaited new album SOS includes features by Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers and Ol’ Dirty Bastard; with production by Ctrl hitmaking collaborators ThankGod4Cody and Carter Lang, alongside Jeff Bhasker, Rob Bisel, Benny Blanco, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Emile Haynie, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, Jay Versace, and more.

About Omar Apollo

Omar Apollo is one of music’s most exciting shape-shifters. In just a few years time, the Indiana-raised Mexican-American singer-songwriter went from teenage strummer to one of the most hotly-tipped rising stars of his generation— most recently honored with a Grammy Nomination for Best New Artist. His debut, critically acclaimed album “Ivory” released in April 2022 featured the Billboard Hot 100 hit “Evergreen” and was supported by 2 sold out North American tours including stops at historic venues like The Greek Theatre, Kings Theatre, and Coachella.

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com .

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Theola Borden | [email protected]  

Live Nation Concerts

Monique Sowinski | [email protected]

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SZA’s Explosive Touring Growth, From CTRL to SOS, by the Numbers

The the latest trek earned more than $30 million in North America.

By Eric Frankenberg

Eric Frankenberg

Taylor Swift Drops Hushed Acoustic Version of Post Malone Collab 'Fortnight'

The 18-date stint ran from Feb. 21 through March 23, giving SZA her first taste of headlining arenas on her own. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, the SOS Tour grossed $34.5 million and sold 238,000 tickets.

Spread across its month of action, SOS shows averaged $1.9 million and 12,812 tickets per night. Returns were remarkably consistent, only dipping below 11,000 at the (relatively) low-capacity Viejas Arena in San Diego. The SoCal arena sold 8,700 tickets, but fostered the tour’s second-highest ticket price, at $174.69. Otherwise, attendance swung between 11,069 (Atlanta) and 14,383 (Toronto) on a nightly basis.

New York and Los Angeles were the two markets, perhaps unsurprisingly, with double-headers. SZA played two shows at Madison Square Garden on March 4-5, and the run’s final two dates at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on March 22-23. Logically, these were the highest grosses and attendance counts, hitting $4.7 million and 27,000 tickets at the East Coast arena, and $3.9 million and 25,000 on the West.

Reporting is limited for SZA’s pre-pandemic concerts, with a small handful of figures for 2017’s Ctrl the Tour and subsequent 2019 Australian shows. But matching up her shows market-by-market, her growth over the last six years is undeniable.

SZA played at Austin’s Emo’s on Oct. 1, 2017, earning $31,000 from a sold-out audience of 1,550. She returned to the city on March 9 at the newly minted Moody Center. She spun that attendance and its average $20 ticket seven times over, amounting to a show gross 55 times the total of her previous market play ($1.7 million).

In New York, it’s a similar – but bigger – story. SZA grossed $45,000 and sold 1,800 tickets at Brooklyn Steel on Dec. 10, 2017. Returning to Madison Square Garden last month, she earned $4.7 million and sold 27,000 tickets. That represents a jump of 1,376% in attendance and more than 10,000% in revenue.

The caveat in NYC is that SZA also played an un-reported show at Manhattan’s Irving Plaza the night after her Brooklyn date in 2017. But even if the 1,100-capacity club sold out at the same average ticket price, her growth in New York would still be nearly 6,500%.

SZA got some arena experience during her first album cycle, snagging co-headline billing on Top Dawg Entertainment’s Champions Tour in between Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q. But even that stacked bill played only one show in New York, selling fewer tickets (12,500) than SZA did on either of her solo ’23 shows at the same venue.

Much of that upward trajectory can be attributed to the slow-burn success of 2017’s CTRL . While peaking at No. 3 and spending “just” a handful of weeks in the Billboard 200’s top 10, it has accumulated more than 300 weeks on the chart. One of its five frames in the top 10 was in June 2022, after a five-year-anniversary deluxe edition hit streaming services.

After letting that album breathe for more than five years, SZA’s timing was sharp. The SOS Tour was announced days after its namesake album was released, with tickets going on sale a few days after that. The set’s massive opening week backed up the feverish hype surrounding her long-awaited comeback, and its subsequent ticket on-sale capitalized on that momentum without missing a beat.

The SOS Tour helped complete SZA’s transformation from slow-burn R&B wunderkind to genre-bending arena powerhouse. She is represented by Wasserman Music and promoted by Live Nation. The tour featured direct support act Omar Apollo.   

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SZA tour dates 2024 - 2025

SZA is currently touring across 4 countries and has 4 upcoming concerts.

Their next tour date is at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata, after that they'll be at Etihad Park, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Currently touring across

• 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

Upcoming concerts (4) See nearest concert

Wireless Festival

Wells Fargo Center

Scotiabank Arena

Past concerts

Malahide Castle

Roskilde Festival

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Recent tour reviews

I saw her last night in San Antonio, TX, it was my daughter first concert, and she did not disappoint. She is amazing live! Well worth the money spent. From the settings to the chorography her team did a fantastic job. The concert kept us on our feet the entire time. I will defiantly go see her again when she returns.

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Truly amazing! Her performance was full of heaps of energy and soul. A beautiful mixture of singing, dancing and a quick preview of her of her acrobatic skills! One of the best musicians to see in concert. Would be darn near impossible to not sway and jump when she's on stage. I've waited so long to see her and she did not disappoint. Really hope to see SZA in London more!!!

Amazing show! Sza sounded amazing! She looked like she was having an awesome time while performing and the crowd loved her. The energy in the venue was hella dope! At one point she instructed security to find any cases of water around to pass out to the people on the floor, saying "get the cases from the tour bus." I thought that was super cool of her.

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SZA announces SOS Tour dates dates for Australia and New Zealand with SiR

SZA announces SOS Tour dates dates for Australia & New Zealand

Over the past year, SZA has been dominating the industry. 2023 was headlined by the massive success of her releasing her highly anticipated sophomore album, “ SOS , in December 2022. 23 songs were released, which contained hit such as “ Shirt ,” “ Snooze ,” as well as the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping “ Kill Bill .” Moreover, SZA collaborated with Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers, and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Therefore, SOS went on to debut atop the Billboard 200, and became SZA’s first number one album.

Furthermore, SOS resulted in SZA earning three more Grammys , in February. Those were in the categories of Best Contemporary R&B Album (SOS), Best R&B Song (Snooze), and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (Ghost In The Machine featuring Phoebe Bridgers.”

Meanwhile, SZA is continuing her SOS Tour, which she initially ventured on, in 2023. This time, she is performing throughout Australia and New Zealand. This is set to officially kick off on April 15, in Auckland, NZA. Auckland will host the first three shows of this tour. The final date of the tour will conclude on April 30, in Melbourne, Australia.

SiR will also be a special guest performer, as he’s SZA’s Top Dawg Entertainment label mate. His own Bad Karma Tour with TDE’s Zacari is also coming, this summer.

Check out the New Zealand Australian dates for SZA’s SOS Tour, below.

The post SZA announces SOS Tour dates dates for Australia and New Zealand with SiR appeared first on Hip Hop Vibe .

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1 July 2024 12:00 PM

SZA live at Glastonbury: masterful but disconnected

One of the riskiest bookings in the festival's history is a smash for the diehards but does little to placate the nay-sayers..

By Will Richards

Since Glastonbury took their biggest risk in 2008 with the divisive booking of Jay-Z, the festival have consistently continued to make bold headliner appointments, welcoming new genres and giving new stars their first headline slots. Beyoncé brought pure pop to the farm in 2011, Metallica were the first metal band to headline in 2014, and new British icons Stormzy and Dua Lipa have stepped up to the next level in the last five years.

The booking of SZA to headline the final night of this year’s festival may stand out as the single riskiest and boldest booking in Glastonbury’s history though. Though she is the most well-respected – and best – R&B artist working today, and is coming off the back of a sold-out arena tour and a Hyde Park gig the night before Glastonbury, SZA remains far from a household name. At the Pyramid Stage, this manifests at a headline show performed to a front section of adoring superfans, and a crowd beyond that is notably sparse and somewhat frosty with their reception.

If the uninitiated need to be won over, SZA isn’t interested in spoon feeding it to them. While Saturday night saw Coldplay ’s Chris Martin offering up overly sentimental messages of peace and love to an enormous crowd, after Dua Lipa played radio hit after radio hit on Friday , SZA is their antithesis. Save for a heartfelt and warm thanks of appreciation at the end of the show, she barely speaks to the crowd at all and does little to ease in the sceptics or the casuals sitting – and shivering – at the middle and back of the hill.

Another stumbling block for the show is the percentage of mid-tempo songs in her catalogue, and it’s when she breaks from that languid flow that the show starts to translate best. An avalanche of distorted guitars crash through the monumental ‘F2F’, while Doja Cat collaboration ‘Kiss Me More’ is a flirty delight, ended by a short cover of Prince’s ‘Kiss’. The boisterous ‘I Hate U’ and devastatingly soft closer ’20 Something’ also stand out, with the extreme ends of her sound cutting through far more than the middleground.

Her new live show is also one that begs to be viewed up close and fully immersed. Visually it’s an arresting spectacle, a mythical wonderland of greenery and wildlife. For a few songs in the middle of the set, she straddles a giant ant while belting out spine-tingling pitch-perfect vocals.

Though the show is visually stunning, full of top-tier songs and Glastonbury headline sets are judged by their moments ,  often through the welcoming of a series of special guests. SZA, however, doesn’t call on Phoebe Bridgers (‘Ghost in the Machine’), Kendrick Lamar (‘All the Stars’) or Doja Cat (‘Kiss Me More’) and instead sticks to the script of her adapted SOS tour which is heading around the European festival circuit this summer. As a result, it falls a little flat for similar reasons to Billie Eilish’s underwhelming headliner debut in 2022, where a spectacle a little more special and singular was required.

It might not go down a storm, but for those close enough to lean in and fully immerse themselves, it’s a show of brilliant dexterity and class. For Glastonbury, it’s another step into a new world they are wise to embrace.

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Plus special guest RAYE

• Date 17 June - 26 June 2023
• Venue The O2 arena
• Availability On sale now

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Grammy-award-winning music trendsetter and icon SZA will continue her touring trek with four shows at The O2 this June. She’ll be joined by British pop sensation RAYE.

The 2023 tour follows SZA’s hugely successful sophomore album, SOS, which was released in December and earned the superstar the record for the largest streaming week for an R&B album in the United States. The album also claimed ten non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart - the most among albums by women in seven years. During the first run of the S.O.S. Tour earlier this year, SZA gave unforgettable performances night after night. The platinum recording artist performed  classics like “Love Galore” and “The Weekend” in addition to newer mega-hits such as “Kill Bill,” and “Shirt.” Fans also got to experience special performances from a number of surprise guests including Phoebe Bridgers, Cardi B, Summer Walker, Lizzo and more.

The S.O.S. Tour marked SZA’s first-ever arena tour and earned the superstar endless praise, with Rolling Stone noting that “SZA lives up to all the anticipation” on opening night. The New York Times called her Madison Square Garden headlining debut “vigorous, confident, theatrical and intimate — the sort of show that manages the rare trick of feeling both vibrantly communicative and also protectively insular,” while Billboard proclaimed that the performance “delivered a message that she’s truly made a next-level step in her career.”

Born in St. Louis and raised in Maplewood, NJ, genre-defying, and GRAMMY Award winning recording artist SZA released her major label debut album Ctrl (TDE/RCA) in 2017. Revered for its raw and honest lyrics, it landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart, No. 2 on the R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart and No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, according to Nielsen Music. The now RIAA-certified 3xPlatinum album received five Grammy nominations in 2018 and more than half the songs on Ctrl are currently certified multi-Platinum and Gold. Ctrl remains on the Billboard 200 chart since its release in 2017 and holds the record for the longest run for any Black female artist’s debut album. In 2022 alone it sold over 600,000 units and is the 10th best-selling female album this year in the country and 50th best-selling album in 2022 overall.

To close out the trying year of 2020, SZA gifted fans on Christmas Day with the hopeful track “Good Days.” Grammy-nominated for Best R&B Song, the single quickly became SZA’s greatest gaining solo single release, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and marking her first time in the chart’s top ten as the main artist. December 2021, SZA scored her second lead artist top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart with the official release of “I Hate U,” which debuted at #7. The song also entered at #1 on both Spotify and Apple Music US charts and broke the record for the most streamed R&B song by a female artist on Apple Music in its first week.  Fan favorite “Shirt” has garnered over 60 million streams globally since its release in October.

On December 9, 2022, SZA released her long-awaited sophomore album SOS.  Instantly and universally met with acclaim, SOS debuted and claimed ten non-consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200, the longest run for an album by a woman in seven years. Standout track “Kill Bill” is RIAA-certified 3x Platinum and earned the #1 spot on the Billboard Global 200 chart and several Apple Music and Spotify charts globally. Currently RIAA-certified 2x Platinum, SOS includes features by Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers and Ol’ Dirty Bastard; with production by Ctrl hitmaking collaborators ThankGod4Cody and Carter Lang, alongside Jeff Bhasker, Rob Bisel, Benny Blanco, Kenny “Babyface'' Edmonds, Emile Haynie, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, Jay Versace, and more.

To this day, SZA continues to set the standard on creativity and songwriting, while shattering records with over 10 billion streams worldwide across all platforms. SZA has won various awards since the release of Ctrl including a 2022 GRAMMY Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Kiss Me More” with Doja Cat, Billboard Music Awards’ Top R&B Female Artist, BET Awards’ Best New Artist, BET Soul Train Awards’ Best R&B/Soul Female Artist and Best New Artist, MTV Video Music Awards’ Best Visual Effects for the “All The Stars'' with Kendrick Lamar, and NAACP Image Awards’ Outstanding New Artist. In 2019, she won NAACP Image Awards’ Outstanding Duo or Group for “All The Stars” with Kendrick Lamar and Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation for the Black Panther Soundtrack. SZA also received Billboard’s 2019 Women in Music Rule Breaker award. More recently, SZA was crowned the 2023 Woman of the Year at the Billboard’s Women in Music Awards and won iHeart Radio Music Awards for R&B Artist of the Year and R&B Song of the Year for “I Hate U.”

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Glastonbury: dua lipa, coldplay, sza go big as the u.k.’s crowning jewel of music fests wraps up.

Surprise guests, wacky sets and a soccer match no one could bear to miss – Glastonbury's 210,000-person music festival never fails to deliver.

By Lily Ford

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It was a Glastonbury of old and new — trusted performances from festival legends Coldplay and music veteran Shania Twain , as well as Worthy Farm debuts from Dua Lipa and SZA.

But the U.K.’s most popular music fest draws to a close Monday and 210,000 people will now make their way home after five days of surprise guest stars, wacky sets and a European Championship soccer match that no one could bear to miss.

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On Saturday night, Chris Martin and his band headlined the festival for a record-breaking fifth time (their first was 2002). It was a packed field with A-listers including Tom Cruise, Gillian Anderson and Florence Pugh in the audience. Beginning with “Yellow,” Martin soon took the time to thank the fans who waited all day at the barrier to get the perfect view. “This is our favorite thing to do on earth, so thank you for letting us do it,” the frontman said.

And in a move no one could have predicted, Michael J. Fox, star of the Back to the Future trilogy, joined Coldplay on stage to play the guitar for their hit “Fix You.” “There is a time for every band and a band for every time,” the Parkinson’s activist later wrote alongside a carousel of photos on Instagram, including one with members of his team and him sitting in a wheelchair in front of an “optimism is a political act” sign. “This is @coldplay’s time.”

For the Legends slot, Twain also faced a few sound issues. The 58-year-old country star played her set Sunday, kicking off with the crowd-pleaser “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” But fans noticed the singer fiddling with her earpiece and microphone, leading many to believe there were some behind-the-scenes faults interfering with the set.

Seventeen made history by becoming the first K-pop group to perform at the festival. British pop group the Sugababes and Canadian punk queen Avril Lavigne performed on the smaller stages, while Camila Cabello had a moment with some dancers in dog masks melting popsicles on her body during her set. U.K. rapper Little Simz wowed the crowd with a performance on the Pyramid stage Saturday, telling fans: “I need you to understand that you’re witnessing greatness. I say that not with arrogance, but with confidence.”

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The best concerts of 2024 so far: AP’s picks include Olivia Rodrigo, Bad Bunny, George Strait, SZA

FILE - American singer Olivia Rodrigo performs during her “Guts World Tour” in the Royal Arena in OErestad, Denmark, Thursday, May 30, 2024. (Martin Sylvest/Ritzau Scanpix via AP, File)

FILE - Bad Bunny performs during “The Most Wanted Tour” at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on May 15, 2024. (Photo by Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Nicki Minaj performs during the MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 performs during Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival on Friday, May 17, 2024, at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)

Megan Thee Stallion performs during the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on Sunday, June 16, 2024, in Manchester, Tenn. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

FILE - Ronnie Wood, from left, Mick Jagger, Steve Jordan, and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones perform during the “Hackney Diamonds” tour at Soldier Field on Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - George Strait performs at the iHeartCountry Festival on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP)

Chappell Roan performs during the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on Sunday, June 16, 2024, in Manchester, Tenn. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

Sexyy Red performs during the Governors Ball Music Festival on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the Queens borough of New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)

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As The Associated Press’ music writer, Maria Sherman has seen more than 40 concerts during the first half of 2024. Here are some picks for the best shows ... so far, excluding any one-off performances that cannot be repeated , and where you too can catch these artists.

Bad Bunny, “The Most Wanted Tour”

March 14, Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena

Bad Bunny’s show begins with a symphony, transitioning into the unmistakable strings of his monster hit, “Monaco.” “The Most Wanted Tour” highlights El Conejo Malo’s fifth solo album “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana” (“Nobody Knows What Will Happen Tomorrow”) and his past reggaetón hits, too.

HIGHLIGHT: There is one moment that can only be described as equine.

OPENER: When you’re one of the biggest artists on the planet, do you really need an opener? Bad Bunny didn’t.

SEE IT YOURSELF: This particular run of shows has come to an end, but here’s a reminder to catch him next time he’s in town.

Bad Bunny performs during “The Most Wanted Tour” at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on May 15, 2024. (Photo by Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP, File)

Olivia Rodrigo, “GUTS World Tour”

April 5, New York’s Madison Square Garden

Rodrigo’s spirited punky-pop warms an arena, as does her irreverent charms and Disney-informed dancing. If women performing their rage has fallen out of vogue, Rodrigo has brought it back , full force.

HIGHLIGHT: For the fans of her big-hearted ballads — in one moment, she’s lifted into the air and circles the arena in a purple crescent moon to slow things down.

OPENER: The Breeders — fronted by the Pixies’ Kim Deal — legends of ’90s college radio and indie rock. There’s something completist about hearing an arena discover “Cannonball” for the first time, a song that no doubt inspired Rodrigo’s music.

SEE IT YOURSELF: Rodrigo heads back to the U.S. this month with a new opener, the U.K. hyperpop producer PinkPantheress , before the Breeders return for two final nights in Los Angeles.

Brutalismus 3000, “AMERIKATRÄUME”

April 11, New York’s Knockdown Center

Every generation gets the Crystal Castles it deserves. Or in less niche language: This Berlin duo brings humor to their music, which veers from hyperactive techno to German Neue Deutsche Welle in their acquired-taste electronica. The shows are sweaty, and no matter your age, you will be the oldest person in attendance.

HIGHLIGHT: The duo samples Dido’s soft-pop hit “White Flag,” while waving a white flag. It works.

OPENER: The techno-punk LustSickPuppy, whose abrasive rave music is presented as a kind of nightmarish clown show.

SEE IT YOURSELF: Brutalismus will be hitting a few festivals in Europe this summer and fall.

Nicki Minaj, “Pink Friday 2 World Tour”

May 1, New York’s Barclays Center

She will run on club time, and she will not disappoint. Nicki Minaj’s “Pink Friday 2” is almost a retrospective of her chart-toppers, shifting alter-egos with incredible ease.

HIGHLIGHT: At this particular show, Minaj brought out Cyndi Lauper to duet “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” after 1 a.m.

OPENER: Monica has joined Minaj for this tour, and in Brooklyn, Pepa of Salt-N-Pepa opened the show.

SEE IT YOURSELF: Minaj is hitting the European festival circuit this summer, then heading back to the U.S. in September.

Nicki Minaj performs during the MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

Sum 41, “Tour of the Setting Sum”

May 6, New York’s Brooklyn Paramount

Canadian pop-punk band Sum 41 has called it quits — and they’re going out in a blaze of glory, a farewell tour that has the immediacy of their youth.

HIGHLIGHT: Sum 41 does not want to exit quietly — they prove their endurance with an explosive set, fireworks and mosh pits and all. There’s also a giant, blow-up skull.

OPENER: The Interrupters, a ska-punk band that revitalized the genre, are worth arriving early for. At future dates, Sum 41 will be joined by Gob, Pup, Neck Deep and the Bronx.

SEE IT YOURSELF: Sum 41 is zigzagging across Europe and North America through early 2025.

Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 performs during Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival on Friday, May 17, 2024, at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)

Megan Thee Stallion, “Hot Girl Summer Tour”

May 21, Madison Square Garden

Not every artist can sell out Madison Square Garden on her first tour, but Megan Thee Stallion is not every artist. On her stage, Megan is an athlete and a dancer who delivers her fierce bars with an incredible crispness.

HIGHLIGHT: “WAP” is a can’t miss moment, of course — particularly if Cardi B makes a surprise appearance, like she did at MSG.

OPENER: Tennessee rapper GloRilla, who was most recently featured on the great, braggy “Accent” from the headliner’s third album, “Megan.”

SEE IT YOURSELF: Europe will get to catch her in July, before she heads back home for a few festivals.

The Rolling Stones, “Stones Tour ’24 Hackney Diamonds”

May 23, East Rutherford, New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium

The Rolling Stones ran through 60 years of hits across two hours, including cuts from their first album of new material in nearly two decades, “Hackney Diamonds.”

HIGHLIGHT: When it comes to The Rolling Stones, the entire show is the highlight — but for this audience, it was likely the rollicking rendition of “Wild Horses.”

OPENER: The soulful Jon Batiste , an award-show staple for a reason.

SEE IT YOURSELF: The Stones’ North American tour continues through July.

Ronnie Wood, from left, Mick Jagger, Steve Jordan, and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones perform during the “Hackney Diamonds” tour at Soldier Field on Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP, File)

George Strait

June 8, MetLife Stadium

They call him the King of Country for a reason. Live, George Strait can transform his one-off stadium shows into a honky-tonk; he performs with a big band and a lot of heart.

HIGHLIGHT: The closest a person can get to levitation is singing along to “Amarillo by Morning” in a stadium of tens of thousands.

OPENER: Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town, with Stapleton joining Strait for a new song called “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame.”

SEE IT YOURSELF: Strait has a two more stadium dates in July — in Detroit and Chicago — and another in December, in Las Vegas.

George Strait performs at the iHeartCountry Festival on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP)

Governors Ball: Chappell Roan, Sexyy Red, SZA, Peso Pluma

June 7-9, New York’s Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Summer festivals across the United States tend to have similar lineups. Governors Ball, arriving early in the season, sets the tone.

HIGHLIGHT: Now is the time to run, don’t walk, to see Chappell Roan . And learn the “Hot to Go” dance.

OPENER: Sexyy Red’s frisky rap is hard to deny.

SEE IT YOURSELF: Many of these artists will be hitting festivals in North American and Europe this summer. In fact, if you want to catch SZA, Sexyy Red and Chappell Roan in one go, consider Lollapalooza in August. Pluma is currently on his “Éxodo Tour” across North America, running through October.

Feb. 18, Melbourne, Australia’s Northcote Social Club

In the search for thrilling, cathartic underground music — particularly of the indie variety — look no further than the rich scene of Melbourne, Australia. CLAMM, the punk trio, brings a controlled aggression to their live show. It is ferocious noise punk that hits like inhaling hand sanitizer — stinging alert their audience with clever agitation.

HIGHLIGHT: Later this month, CLAMM will release a new record, “Disembodiment.” Live, they’ve begun performing the chant-along opening cut, “Change Enough.”

OPENER: At this particular show, the Aussie indie band Scott and Charlene’s Wedding and the rapper Mulalo. A genre-diverse club show is a life-affirming club show.

SEE IT YOURSELF: CLAMM are headed to Europe for a series of dates this July, and back to Australia in August.