American R&B singer and songwriter Solána Imani Rowe, also known as SZA, shows her emotional vulnerability through her soft vocals in her deluxe reissue of her second studio album, Lana.
It has been two years since SZA released a full album, which left fans with anticipation and excitement for Lana. One of the first songs of the album, ”Saturn,” was released last February and became popular because it followed the soft sound pattern found on her previous albums.
Something different about the song was the whimsical beat in the background of it, making it feel like a magical listening experience. This built anticipation before the rest of the songs were released.
Lana was originally intended to be made as a separate project, but due to leaks on different social platforms by a fan, original plans for the album were changed. SZA said she made the album a reissue of her second studio album, SOS, due to the leaked songs, which were not finished.
So she has added 15 songs to SOS and calls it Lana, a reissue of SOS.
As for other new songs from the album, SZA has outdone herself with the vocals on songs such as “Scorsese Baby Daddy,” “Kitchen,” and “Another Life.” The tone in these songs are soft, and she is direct with her emotional state, which makes the songs’ sentiment more significant for her fans.
More relatable songs from the album are “Crybaby,” “My Turn,” and “Drive” because they are similar to the songs from her last album, but differ in terms of her lyrics. The vulnerability of her lyrics makes the album feel like an escape from the real world or even a healing listening experience.
Some features in this album include Kendrick Lamar in the song “30 for 30,” as well as a returning song from SOS, “Used,” featuring Don Toliver. Neither of the songs disappoint in terms of vocals, beats, and lyrical genius.
Overall, SZA does an outstanding job with this album in many ways. She not only creates a sense of vulnerability, but also includes more of an upbeat tone to some of the songs. All these unexpected and new listening experiences leave many fans optimistic for the future of SZA albums.
