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User:Adrifaye/Blind (SZA song)

< User:Adrifaye

"Blind"
Song by SZA
from the album SOS
ReleasedDecember 9, 2022 (2022-12-09)
Genre
Length2:30
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Lyric video
"Blind" on YouTube

"Blind" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA (also known as Solana Rowe) and the sixth track on her second studio album, SOS (2022). "Blind" is categorized as an R&B song with influences from the Folk-pop genre.[1]"Blind" was produced by Carter Lang, Rob Bisel, Will Miller and Yuli and written by Solana Rowe, her producers, as well as Margaux Alexis and Rosalena Whitney.[2]The song's lyrics discuss how the toxicity of her previous relationships have negatively affected her reputation and self esteem and were even claimed to be part of the best lyrics from 2022.[3] The lyrics and message of "Blind" were so highly appreciated by the public that it resulted in "Blind" landing a spot on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Global 200 as well as it being accredited as part of the success behind SZA reaching the number one spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 Songwriters chart.[4][5][6]

Background edit

  •  
    SZA CTRL Tour

SZA had released one album prior to SOS, her debut studio album, Ctrl, in 2017. Primarily an R&B album that deals with themes like heartbreak, Ctrl received widespread critical acclaim for its candid approach to themes of heartbreak and SZA's incredible songwriting abilities, which eventually landed itself a spot on the top of the Billboard's Top R&B Album that year. Critics credit it with establishing her status as a major figure in contemporary pop and R&B music and pushing the boundaries of the R&B genre.[note 1] Fans waited 5 years for another album, and even listed to Ctrl so many times that it landed the number one spot on the Billboard's Top R&B album again in 2022.[14][15] Her next studio album was therefore highly anticipated,[16][17] and with fans anxiously awaiting her return, SZA hinted that a new album would be coming soon in an interview with DJ Kerwin Frost, possibly as early as August of 2019 or early 2020, and that the album would be "even more of me being less afraid".[18][19] When SZA collaborated with Cosmopolitan for their February 2021 issue, she spoke about her creative process behind the album's conception. She said: "this album is going to be the shit that made me feel something in my...here and in here", pointing to her heart and gut.[20]

Between albums, SZA released singles "Hit Different" and "Good Days", marking her first solo songs since Ctrl and fueling anticipation for a new album.[21] She also collaborated with Kendrick Lamar in "All the Stars" which was featured in Black panther the album in 2018, with The Weeknd and Travis Scott in "Power Is Power" in 2019, with Justin Timberlake in "The Other Side" in 2020, and with Doja Cat in "Kiss Me More" in 2021.[18] She also worked with the musical turned movie Dear Evan Hansen and was the co-writer and performer of the song "The Anonymous Ones" in the film in 2021. [22]In addition, she released a few singles which would later appear on her album SOS, "I Hate U" and "Shirt".

At the end of the music video for "Good Days" was a snippet of "Shirt", a single from the upcoming album which was released on October 28, 2022. The music video for "Shirt", similar to that for "Good Days", featured a teaser of an unreleased song in the outro.[23][24] When SZA appeared on Saturday Night Live on December 3, 2022, she debuted a live performance of "Shirt" alongside the unreleased song.[25] The day after, she announced that the album, titled SOS, would be released on December 9, 2022. SZA used the unreleased song to soundtrack a trailer of SOS she posted to social media. The title of the song in question is "Blind".[26]

Composition edit

"Blind" is an R&B and folk pop song.[1] It is backed by lush pizzicato strings from violin and guitar, and its rhythm lacks a beat.[27][28] SZA raps the lyrics in a staccato style,[29][30] changing her flow every few lines.[31] The lyrics contain various wordplay and humorous references to several figures in pop culture,[31][32] specifically Muhammad Ali ("now they calling me Cassius"), Bob Saget ("raunchy like Bob Saget"), Julia Stiles ("I ain't no Julia Stiles, this ain't no Last Dance"), and Jesus ("third day, pop out the tomb"). Vulture noted that the pop-culture references in "Blind" are some out of many in SOS, included by SZA to "add some spice to her already well-seasoned lyrics about growing up and bitch-ass men".[33]

In the lyrics, SZA explores how being in toxic relationships has damaged her self-esteem.[3] She discusses how her reputation has been reduced to her sexual encounters with ex-boyfriends: "My past can't escape me / My pussy precedes me."[28] SZA's voice slows down and she switches to a falsetto vocal register in the chorus,[28][3] in which she further addresses her self-worth and trust issues. She tells a prospective partner who wants to be with her that before they can get together, she needs to learn how to love herself first. One line reads "it's so embarrassing, all of the things I need living inside of me. I can't see it."[34]

Critical reception edit

In an NPR round-up of the best lyrics from 2022 songs, critic Kiana Fitzgerald chose one line from the chorus of "Blind", citing its relatability to anyone who has been in a relationship: "feelings of inadequacy, feelings of jealousy or trust issues or anything that you might have with someone that you're willing to deal with romantically. You know, we've all - or many of us, I should say - have been through relationships, situationships, dysfunctional functioning, whatever. And there's always some kind of tug and pull when it comes to love."[34]

Pitchfork reviewed the song "Blind" and characterized it as a "dazzling statement piece from her [SZA] new album SOS". They also describe SZA as "real and stylistically electric as ever on “Blind,” musing over lush violins and the delicate guitars of a Sufjan Stevens song, which tiptoe like a ballerina en pointe". They also discuss how this song reflects her classic themes of how hooking up with exes results in reputational damage and the question how long will vulnerability be rewarded with abandonment? This review highlights how in "Blind", "SZA is messy and divine, indulging her desires and reeling from their consequence".[35]

Charts edit

Chart performance for "Blind"
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[36] 27
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[37] 17
Global 200 (Billboard)[38] 19
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[39] 95
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[40] 15
US Billboard Hot 100[41] 12

Notes edit

  1. ^ Cited to multiple sources:
    • Vulture: "Raw, candid writing isn't new for SZA; it's what made the previous album, Ctrl, such a breakout and one of the high marks of the confessional R&B; of the past decade."[7]
    • The Recording Academy: "The release of her critically acclaimed debut album Ctrl in 2017 solidified the artist not only as an R&B mainstay, but soundtracked the heartbreaks and growing pains of millions of young people. With her eloquent vocals and layered storytelling abilities, listeners felt every word like it was their own."[8]
    • The Line of Best Fit: "her debut Ctrl has ascended to classic status, going down as one of the decade's best and cementing SZA's voice at the forefront of contemporary R&B, and of pop."[9]
    • NME: Ctrl "ushered in a new era for R&B, one where the genre's boundaries shifted, bringing new levels of inventiveness into a classic sound and fusing it with indie, alternative, trap and more [...] SZA herself spent the aftermath of Ctrl trying to grapple with her new stardom and the huge impact that had on her life."[10]
    • The Daily Telegraph: "Ctrl, the triple-platinum, four-time Grammy nominated debut that propelled SZA to popstar status"[11]
    • The New Yorker: "Ctrl opened a portal—one that represented not just a major leap for the artist but a breakthrough for the genre itself. Her alternative slow jams pushed her voice to the fore and laid bare all the quirks of her dating life, establishing her as a distinguished millennial anecdotalist in the process."[12]
    • Consequence: In Ctrl, "SZA's personal style of lyricism has always read like an endless diary entry, and the transcendent nature of her genre-shifting abilities helped revolutionize modern R&B and pop."[13]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Mitchell, Ashlee (December 13, 2022). "5 Takeaways From SZA's New Album SOS". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  2. ^ Songfacts. "Blind by SZA - Songfacts". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Richards, Chris (December 9, 2022). "On SOS, SZA Unpacks Her Most Complicated Emotions in So Many Words". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  4. ^ tolsen (January 2, 2013). "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  5. ^ Cabral, R. J. (September 15, 2020). "Billboard Global 200". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  6. ^ Cusson, Michael (May 25, 2022). "Hot 100 Songwriters". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  7. ^ Curto, Justin (December 9, 2022). "SZA Finally Unleashed Her Inner Rock Star". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  8. ^ Mitchell, Ashlee (December 13, 2022). "5 Takeaways from SZA's New Album SOS". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  9. ^ Taylor, Ims (December 9, 2022). "SZA Hits the Heights on the Dense but Masterful SOS". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  10. ^ Daly, Rhian (December 9, 2022). "SZA – SOS Review: A Comeback Album Well Worth the Wait". NME. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  11. ^ McCormick, Neil; Haider, Arwa; Johnston, Kathleen (December 9, 2022). "Sam Ryder Is No One-Hit Wonder, SZA Channels Princess Diana – The Week's Best Albums". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  12. ^ Pearce, Sheldon. "SZA: Ctrl (Deluxe)". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  13. ^ Siregar, Cady (December 9, 2022). "On SOS, SZA Once Again Blows Expectations Out of the Water". Consequence. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  14. ^ "SZA's 'Ctrl' Returns to No. 1 on Top R&B Albums Chart After Five Years". Hypebeast. June 23, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  15. ^ Anderson, Trevor (June 23, 2022). "Five Years Later, SZA's Ctrl Returns to No. 1 on Top R&B Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  16. ^ Lee, Cydney; Lipshutz, Jason; Mamo, Heran; Robinson, Kristin; Unterberger, Andrew (January 4, 2023). "Five Burning Questions: SZA Holds at No. 1 for Third Week with SOS Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2022. {{cite magazine}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; January 5, 2023 suggested (help)
  17. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (December 14, 2022). "What Gives SZA Her Edge". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  18. ^ a b Robinson, Ellie (June 7, 2021). "SZA Reveals She 'Burst Into Tears' During a Rehearsal of '20 Something'". NME. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  19. ^ Alston, Trey (January 3, 2020). "SZA Is Dropping a New Album This Year but When Is Beyond Her Ctrl". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  20. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (January 5, 2021). "SZA Says New Album Will Feature Material That Made Her Feel Something in Her Heart and Gut". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  21. ^ Chow, Andrew R.; Mendez II, Moises (December 9, 2022). "Was SZA's SOS Worth the Wait? Breaking Down Its Best Songs and Big Themes". Time. Archived from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  22. ^ "SZA Sings About 'The Anonymous Ones' In New 'Dear Evan Hansen' Song". MTV. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  23. ^ Mamo, Heran; Mamo, Heran (November 16, 2022). "SZA Is Finally Ready to Release That Album (Yes, Really!)". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  24. ^ Pointer, Ashley (October 28, 2022). "SZA, 'Shirt'". NPR. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  25. ^ "Watch SZA Perform "Shirt," Debut New Song "Blind" on SNL". Pitchfork. December 4, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  26. ^ "SZA reveals S.O.S. album release date and debuts new song "Blind" on SNL". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  27. ^ Petridis, Alexis (December 9, 2022). "SZA: SOS Review – R&B Innovator's Long-Awaited Return Is an Eclectic Sprawl". The Guardian. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  28. ^ a b c "SZA: "Blind"". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  29. ^ Thorpe-Tracey, CJ (December 15, 2022). "SZA: SOS". The Quietus. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  30. ^ Jenkins, Craig (December 12, 2022). "SZA Wants It All". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  31. ^ a b Thompson, Stephen; Harris, Aisha; Madden, Sidney; Katzif, Mike; Wood, Rommel; Reedy, Jessica (December 15, 2022). "On SOS, SZA Both Surprises and Delivers Exactly What We've Been Waiting For" (Audio upload and transcript). NPR. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  32. ^ Amorosi, A. D. (December 9, 2022). "SZA Sends Out an SOS That Will Be an Emergency Addition to Everyone's 10-Best Lists: Album Review". Variety. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  33. ^ Guy, Zoe (December 9, 2022). "Everything SZA References on SOS (Including Herself)". Vulture. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  34. ^ a b Inskeep, Steve; Fitzgerald, Kiana (December 29, 2022). "Lyrics from 'Blind' by Hip-Hop Singer-Songwriter SZA Will Stay with You" (Audio upload and transcript). NPR. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  35. ^ Nast, Condé. "SZA: "Blind"". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  36. ^ "SZA – Blind". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  37. ^ "SZA Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  38. ^ "SZA Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  39. ^ "SZA – Blind" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  40. ^ "SZA – Blind". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  41. ^ "SZA Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 6, 2023.

Category:2022 songs Category:Songs written by SZA Category:SZA songs

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