The delay lore and label drama only intensified the myth of SOS before we even knew it had a name. Whether that was intentional or not, the slow burn toward SZA’s sophomore effort was worth every bit of the pain, which compliments the cool of the hookup-and-breakup jams that saturate the 23-track listen. We don’t really need to hear Solána Imani Rowe proving herself a natural at going pop-punk or Swiftian, and wrangling in Phoebe Bridgers for a last-minute feature on “Ghost In the Machine” is click-baiting yet ultimately the least interesting part of the album. Yet, when SZA zeroes in on her singular finesse in modernist R&B which she mystifies with hot takes on the holy trinity in ultra-honesty of sex, heartbreak, and esteem, there are very few artists out there who can reinvent the torch song as the ultimate end game in the tumultuous depths of love like she does.

Highlights: “Kill Bill”, “Blind”, “Gone Girl”

SZA’s S.O.S. is available now on Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records.

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