SOS Deluxe: LANA? Zainab says 4/5

Welcome to ShelfMag’s music review column! While this may seem like an excuse to indulge in the latest projects by my favorite artists, I’m really here to search for new music to add to my shelf. Whether you’re an “I love that project—do you know their early work?” or “I just turn on my Spotify radio and call it a day” listener, there’s room for every kind of music lover over here. So put on your headphones and leave any preconceived notions at the door—let’s yap about music!

<3 Zainab

For two Decembers now, I’ve referred to SZA’s SOS as a Christmas album. And on December 20th, 2024, my Christmas gift arrived early* in the shape of a topless alien. My top album on shelf has been SOS Deluxe: LANA for three straight weeks, and I’ll be shocked if that changes anytime soon. As the reigning queen of indie R&B since 2017 (argue with your mother—when she drops, we all listen), SZA once again reminds us that no one does toxic, lover-girl music like her.

Boasting fourteen new tracks, LANA’s biggest streaming standouts include “Drive,” “BMF,” an interpolation of “Girl from Ipanema”, and the bass-heavy, unapologetic “30 For 30 (with Kendrick Lamar)”—their sixth collaboration together.

As for the tracks that went triple platinum in my apartment? “Chill Baby” was an immediate favorite. A combination of hypnotic melodies, guitars, and lyrics that speak to Tired Black Women everywhere—I want everybody free/ know I gotta start with me/ hard to find the urge to build that wall—”Chill Baby” offers a rare, hopeful SZA.

“Drive” serves as a reminder that at the end of the day, all SZA really needs is a mic and a guitar. Functioning as the “Blind” of LANA, “Drive” is inarguably an anthem for everyone, evidenced by the world’s first introduction to the song, Ben Stiller going bar-for-bar while drivin’ to nowhere.

As I settle in to my routine for the new year and begin the grueling process of holding myself accountable to my goals and new year resolutions, you can guarantee that my attitude will be a direct reflection of sentiments expressed LANA.

My rating? 4/5 stars. Stream the album or not, but just know that if it’s f*ck me, then f*ck you / and that’s the way I like it (SZA-lations, “30 For 30,” 0:52).

* No such thing for SZA - our favorite lying scorpio still dropped the project later than she promised

Curious about what else Zainab is into? Get real time updates on shelf.im/zjaffa