Top Dawg Entertainment’s resident queen SZA has finally released a new track, titled twoAM.
It is a heartbroken, slow-burning R&B ballad, bare and raw, featuring little more than tinny percussion rhythm and gentle synths. The lyrics speak of forelorn love, of a woman up at 2 am, unable to sleep, thinking about a love interest who doesn’t call her, who sees other women, who she needs to move on from.
SZA’s raw vocals are full of emotion and soul, her distinct lilt twirling around the delicate melody; it’s wonderful hearing a fresh track from the 25-year-old artist.
SZA, or Solána Rowe, has been on a steady incline over the past couple years. As part of the wonderful TDE crew alongside Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and more, she has so far released the first two of her three-part EP trilogy, S and Z. As to whether or not twoAM is the first cut we’re hearing from A is currently unknown, but I’d say it’s fairly likely.
The final 30 seconds of the Soundcloud track feel entirely different – could it be a snippet of a second new song? Or am I just looking too deeply into this?
This is just one of a number of really exciting new announcements coming out of the TDE camp. ScHoolboy Q’s album appears to be right around the corner, while news of new music from Isaiah Rashad and Ab-Soul are both hopefully on the way, not to mention the hints of a new signing, who we believe to be Lance SkiiiWalker.
.@SZA said play this at twoAM. https://t.co/b3VW16MG6J #TDE pic.twitter.com/Ab6lf59KcV
— dangeroo kipawaa TDE (@dangerookipawaa) May 18, 2016
Read our feature article on why the world needs to pay more attention to SZA
Image: Facebook / SZA