This past December, singer-songwriter SZA released LANA, the long-awaited deluxe version of her 2022 album SOS. The album’s name comes from her own—Solana—and the fourteen new songs on the reissue continue the much-loved R&B-rock-pop sound of SOS.
The album starts with the track “No More Hiding.” On the track, SZA yearns for a purified, contented, and peaceful life away from everything fake. Just like in her song “Open Arms,” the closing track of SOS, SZA sings of needing to “let go,” creating a full-circle moment between the album and its deluxe version. It also begs the question: what is it going to take for SZA to let go and move on?
On “30 for 30,” which features a long-time collaborator with SZA, Kendrick Lamar, the song falls short compared to the duo’s previous joint works. The beat is overly discombobulated, the hook is monotonous, and the song is too long, considering its overall quality and monotony.
The song “BMF” has become one of the most popular deluxe tracks due to its catchiness and relatable lyrics. People were quick to point out how the song cleverly interpolates Stan Getz’s 1964 song “The Girl From Ipanema.” SZA describes how her girl from Ipanema would be a young, fine, dark, and handsome boy from South Detroit. It is a shame the song was released in December, as it could have been the perfect song of the summer for 2025 if its release were delayed.
One thing about SZA is that she loves a movie reference. It started with her hit song “Kill Bill” which takes inspiration from the Quentin Tarentino film of the same name, and SZA continues the movie-themed songs on LANA with “Scorsese Baby Daddy,” named after “Shutter Island” director Martin Scorsese. The song is full of themes present on many of her songs throughout her career, like the state of figuring life out and wanting to find love. Her vocals shine on this track, along with the cheery instrumentals.
Following “Scorsese Baby Daddy,” and after three songs not worthy listening to (“Love Me 4 Me,” “Chill Baby,” and “My Turn”) the album bounces back with the melodic song “Crybaby.” This song is about a relationship SZA ruined. The song ends with the lyrics “I know you told stories about me / Most of them awful, all of them true,” which really makes one think introspectively about how people can ruin something even when they appreciate it.
Additionally, one of the higher-quality songs on the album is “Kitchen.” This song was used to promote listeners before the album came out, and it is easy to see why; it’s so good! “Kitchen” is about SZA debating on whether or not to take back her ex. The lyrics flow together perfectly throughout the track and one can feel SZA’s dilemma throughout. The duality and lack of clarity in the lyrics makes it hard to figure out if SZA ends up taking him back or not.
The only song on LANA with a music video so far is “Drive.” The music video features an emotional Ben Stiller carelessly driving and singing his heart out to the song. In the video, when “Drive” ends, the scene switches to SZA dressed as a naked bug in a field moving, bug-like, as her song “Crybaby” plays. The second half of the music video is absurd yet beautiful, likely how SZA intended it to be. “Drive” is about how SZA will drive just to get her head right. She switches from soulful melodies to rap verses effortlessly through the track, all while singing of the difficulties modern life and relationships can bring. This song goes to show that she is one of the best singer-songwriters of the modern day.
The last new song on LANA is “Another Life.” “In another life, I know we could ride out, boy,” SZA sings over a beautiful guitar melody. SZA perfectly expresses the feelings associated with the desire for a different outcome in a relationship. The song is a perfect way to close out the new song portion of the album.
While LANA has more underwhelming songs than usual for a SZA album, it still is a strong extension of SOS. However, it is growing difficult to tell SZA’s new songs apart anymore. It may be a smart artistic choice in the future to expand upon her sound a bit and offer new and exciting sounds for her fans.