Maps of Music

Z (2014)

Where the lyrics of Z take you, and where it was really made.

Most of this EP was recorded in a 'little club house' in Carson, California, with a label mate who later became one of SZA's closest collaborators.

Key places

Recorded in Carson during summer 2013 (2014)

Recording site Top Dawg Studios — Most of Z was recorded in Carson, California in the summer of 2013. Labelmate Isaiah Rashad worked on the sessions. The map point marks the city of Carson rather than an exact studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Z: third EP by American R&B singer SZA
• Released April 8, 2014 by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE)
• Alternative R&B and neo soul album
• Blends soul, hip hop, minimalist R&B and 1980s synth-pop elements
• Vocals are layered as sliced, delayed and reversed takes, giving a synthetic, fluid production
• Lyrics explore romantic relationships, sexuality, nostalgia and abandonment
• Written by SZA herself; production by Mac Miller, Emile Haynie and others

Background

• SZA first met TDE members at CMJ 2011, when a clothing company linked to her boyfriend sponsored a show featuring Kendrick Lamar
• A friend at that show passed early SZA songs to TDE president Terrence 'Punch' Henderson
• Her debut self-released EP See.SZA.Run came out October 29, 2012
• In June 2013 TDE announced plans to sign two more artists
• On July 14, 2013 TDE signed SZA
• Her plan was another EP, but she felt she owed people more, which led to a fuller release
• Z came after two self-released EPs, See.SZA.Run and S

Recording

• Most of the EP was recorded in Carson, California in summer 2013
• Recorded with TDE labelmate Isaiah Rashad, who gave SZA a key ally within the crew
• In May 2013 SZA revealed she was working with producers Holy Other and Emile Haynie
• Producer Felix Snow was introduced through a mutual friend
• SZA said she felt she had vocal freedom and was not rushed or afraid during the process

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Early life

• Solána Imani Rowe was born November 8, 1989, in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in Maplewood, New Jersey.
• She attended Columbia High School and later Delaware State University before dropping out to pursue music.
• Her stage name SZA was inspired by the Five Percent Nation and the Supreme Alphabet.

Career

• She self-released the EPs See.SZA.Run (2012) and S (2013) before signing with Top Dawg Entertainment in 2013.
• Her debut album Ctrl (2017) was critically acclaimed and topped several year-end lists.
• "All the Stars" (2018) with Kendrick Lamar earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations.
• "Kiss Me More" with Doja Cat (2021) won her first Grammy Award.
• Her second album SOS (2022) spent 100 weeks in the Billboard 200 top ten, and "Kill Bill" topped the Billboard Hot 100.
• "Luther" with Kendrick Lamar became her longest-running US number-one song.
• She has won seven Grammy Awards in total.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Z received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its production and musical style
• Critics also praised the lyrical content and SZA's vocals, and compared the EP to the work of Lorde
• Ben Benjamin of Neon Tommy praised Z and compared it to Lorde, calling it compelling yet slightly static
• Ryan B. Patrick of Exclaim! gave Z eight out of ten stars and singled out 'Sweet November' and 'Julia'
• Steven Goldstein of HipHopDX gave the album three and a half stars out of five and called it a strong debut
• Brandon Soderberg of Spin commended its atmospheric tones and called the lyrical content compelling
• Michael Madden of Consequence of Sound praised its organic themes but felt it did not get to the point, and called SZA's vocals her biggest asset

Reappraisal

• Metacritic, based on 15 mainstream reviews, gave the album an average score of 66, indicating generally favorable reviews
• Madden described the genre as agnostic and compared the lyrics to Angel Haze's debut Dirty Gold
• Ben Benjamin noted the album's end as one of the few adrenaline boosters on the record

Records

• Debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number 39, selling 6,980 copies in its first week
• Peaked at number 9 on the US Hip-Hop/R&B chart
• Also debuted at number 9 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 5 on the US Top R&B Albums chart
• UK Albums Chart number 197; UK R&B Chart number 32 (week ending April 19, 2014)
• Sold over 26,000 copies in the US to date
• Included on year-end lists: Exclaim! number 8 (Soul and R&B albums), Vibe Magazine number 34, Nöjesguiden (Sweden) number 10

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The lead single 'Babylon' had a video directed by APLUSFILMZ, in which SZA is baptized in murky swamp water.
• 'Sweet November' uses an instrumental from Marvin Gaye's 'Mandota', which originally appeared on the deluxe edition of his 1973 album Let's Get It On.
• SZA met producer Felix Snow through a mutual friend and they later began hanging out.
• Initial copies were signed when bought through the Top Dawg Entertainment web store.
• The 'Warm Winds' video, featuring Isaiah Rashad, was directed by APLUSFILMZ and shows SZA and Rashad running through a field.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

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