Top Dawg Entertainment’s star singer SZA nabbed five nominations at the 2018 Grammy Awards. SZA’s 2017 year was nothing short of amazing, with SZA releasing her long-awaited debut album Ctrl to much fanfare and critical acclaim. But with five nominations, it was expected for SZA to at least nab one win. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen, losing to the likes of Bruno Mars, Kendrick Lamar and the Best New Artist claim to Alessia Cara. In an interview with GQ magazine, SZA touched on what it was like to lose at the Grammy’s but also how it brought her a new perspective on her breakout success.
“I felt a shift,” she said. “Like, I came a really long-ass way. I didn’t imagine this album doing much anyway… I feel like at some point you start to get sucked up into the accolades and you’re like, ‘Oh, this is what this is about, and this is what quantifies my success or me as an artist or a human being.’ We reached a billion streams on Spotify. The United States fucks with my songs. We’re changing little girls’ lives across the world, and we didn’t even know what we were doing when we started. This is something much bigger than me and a fucking trophy.”
Ctrl was supported by two hit singles, “Love Galore” featuring Travis Scott and “The Weekend.” Both tracks reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Although she came home empty-handed at the Grammy’s, she can rest assured that she is among the best R&B artists out now.
To read more from SZA’s interview with GQ, click here.