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Lana (album)

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Lana
Cover art variant for "Lana": SZA in a yellow camping tent, taking off her grey shirt
First cover art posted to social media
Studio album by
SZA
Label
Producer
SZA chronology
SOS
(2022) 		Lana
(TBA)
Singles from Lana
  1. "Saturn"
    Released: February 22, 2024

Lana is the upcoming third studio album by American singer-songwriter SZA. It is scheduled to be released through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records. Originally planned as the deluxe edition of SZA's previous studio album, SOS (2022), Lana evolved into its own album that would consist solely of new music.

Background

[edit]

Soon after the release of her highly acclaimed and commercially successful second studio album, SOS (2022),[1][2] SZA began teasing a deluxe edition with a postscript at the end of an Instagram post, where she thanked everyone who helped make the album possible.[3] Reportedly composing the tracklist were ten songs intended for the standard edition, per the information SZA told Most Requested Live in January 2023[4] and Billboard in February.[5] Later in September, she revealed Lana as the deluxe album's title.[6]

Snippets of several songs from the SOS sessions, like the SoundCloud-release "Joni" (2021), had been on the Internet for years prior to the announcement. Despite persistent calls from SZA and her fans to include certain highly awaited outtakes on the album, her record label's president, Punch, disagreed. This led to SZA's decision to put them on Lana instead.[7] Sometime after, she added to the tentative tracklist some songs that were recorded post-SOS.[8] One was the 2023-recorded "DTM (Diamond Boy)".[9]

Throughout the preparation for Lana's release, many of its tracks that were originally for SOS, including "Joni", leaked online.[10] On March 25, 2024, SZA addressed the leaking of three unspecified outtakes and promotional pictures for Lana, stating that she had considered legal action against those responsible.[11] After saying she would redo Lana from scratch, she clarified that the deluxe edition would now consist solely of the leaks and other select songs scrapped from SOS.[12] Lana was now a separate project and SZA's third studio album.[13]

Recording

[edit]

SZA wrote and recorded over 100 songs for SOS within a timespan of five years.[14][15] She and her collaborator, album producer Carter Lang, continued to make music after its release specifically for Lana, motivated by sporadic bursts of creativity.[9] By February 4, 2024, the day of the 2024 Grammy Awards, SZA told The Hollywood Reporter that the album was still "shaping itself" as she let her voice follow "whatever the [album]'s frequency [was]", though she refused to disclose more details. She reasoned that doing so would inadvertently change her creative direction for the album.[16]

During sessions for Lana, SZA found herself in a healthier mental state than when she recorded her past two albums. Her thinking shifted such that instead of being overly burdened by past hurt, she feels more ready to move on and let go. Finding solace in spiritual activities like meditation and yoga, she said that her growing sense of inner peace reflected on her music and songwriting.[17]

I'm not identifying with my brokenness ...Yeah, I experienced cruelty. I have to put it down at some point. Piece by piece, my music is shifting because of that, the lighter I get.

— SZA, December 2024 issue of British Vogue[17]

Aesthetic and title

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The teasers for Lana suggest that its aesthetic will center around nature.[18] On December 10, 2023, SZA revealed six cover art variants for the album via Instagram, five of which show her among various flora and fauna. One shows her in a yellow camping tent; in another, she wears a headdress and bikini fashioned from leaves. In three others, she is handling farm animals.[3][19] She has worn bug costumes in multiple publicized media, specifically an album teaser shown at two concerts[20] and a guest appearance at Hot Ones.[21]

The cover artworks were styled by frequent collaborator Alejandra Hernandez. SZA is portrayed as a "child of nature"; her outfits are particularly designed to evoke a visceral feeling of free-spiritedness. Amel Mukhatar of British Vogue described the style as Bohemian, specifically referencing the nonconformist African American hipsters of the 1940s.[17]

SZA, whose real name is Solána, used one of her nicknames to give SOS its title,[22] and the same was true for Lana. She got her nickname "Lana" at 13 years old, when she planned to have her first name tattooed on her. According to her, she had to pay $10 per letter, but having only $40, she used only the last four letters of "Solana" for her tattoo.[8]

Promotion

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Release

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The official announcement of Lana took place in Brooklyn Navy Yard, during a invite-only surprise party to celebrate the success of SOS. During the event, SZA performed four songs intended for the deluxe edition: "Saturn", "PSA", "DTM (Diamond Boy)", and "Boy from South Detroit".[23] She told Variety that the release would be unexpected, and she compared herself to Frank Ocean and André 3000 in that she was free to do whatever she wanted.[24] Elaborating on her decision to release another full album worth of material, she said that it had become more than expected and referred to the creative process as fun and did not spend too much time living in her "own head".[25] In June 2024, Time listed Lana as one of the most anticipated albums of the year.[26]

Back in 2023, when Lana was still the deluxe edition of SOS, SZA told fans that its release date would be in as late as December. This did not come true.[27] On Twitter the following month, Punch said that if more songs from Lana leaked online, the album could face further delays or even a possible cancellation.[28] When SZA appeared for the year-end issue of British Vogue's cover story, she supposedly said that Lana could be released in November or December 2024.[17]

Songs

[edit]

Discussions about the lead single commenced in 2023, and "DTM (Diamond Boy)" was the first choice. However, its release date, and therefore Lana's, was postponed because promotion for SOS was still ongoing with its final single "Snooze".[9][29] The actual lead single from Lana, "Saturn", was surprise-released on February 22, 2024, days after SZA performed it during a Mastercard advertisement on the 2024 Grammy Awards.[30] The performance was heavily nature-themed, and it featured a backdrop of tree and flower props.[31][32]

SZA has teased two other songs believed to be from Lana, both while saying that the album was on the way and sharing nature-related visuals. On March 12, she posted a video on Instagram that shows her in a camping tent wearing nothing but a red bikini, captioned with the lyric "Never fight over community d".[33][34] When she performed at a concert for BST Hyde Park on June 30, she flashed the album trailer on the stage screen before saying: "New album, you ready?" She shared the trailer online after the concert, singing the lyrics to a song publications called "Storytime".[20][35] SZA revealed the official title to be "Cry Baby" at Lollapalooza Chicago on August 3.[36] Shortly after the British Vogue cover story, she shared a one-minute clip of her on Instagram freestyling.[37]

References

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  1. ^ Anderson, Trevor (December 9, 2023). "1 Year of SOS: 8 Records & Achievements for SZA's Blockbuster Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  2. ^ Ampil, Izzy (February 3, 2023). "How SZA Rose from Indie Favorite to National No. 1". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Calfee, Joel (December 11, 2023). "SZA Teases New Music with Mysterious Farm Photos on Instagram". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  4. ^ Richards, Will (February 25, 2023). "SZA to release 10 unheard songs on deluxe version of 'SOS'". NME. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  5. ^ Richards, Will (February 25, 2023). "SZA to release 10 unheard songs on deluxe version of SOS". NME. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  6. ^ Lyttle, Zoey; Blanchet, Brenton (September 9, 2023). "SZA Announces Deluxe Version of Sophomore Album SOS — Titled Lana — Featuring '7 to 10' New Songs". People. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  7. ^ Aswad, Jem (February 22, 2023). "SZA to Release Deluxe Edition of SOS with 10 Bonus Tracks". Variety. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Aswad, Jem (December 11, 2023). "SZA's New Album Lana: Everything We Know So Far". Variety. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c Conteh, Mankaprr (October 3, 2023). "What's Behind SZA's Biggest Year Yet? Work, Wonder, and 'Weird Shit'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  10. ^ Aswad, Jem (March 27, 2024). "SZA to Release Leaked Songs as Deluxe Edition of 'SOS,' Will Remake Delayed 'Lana' LP 'From Scratch'". Variety. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  11. ^ "SZA Says Leakers Forced Her to Restart 'Lana' Project 'From Scratch,' Will Compile Leaks for 'SOS' Deluxe". www.complex.com. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  12. ^ Schube, Will (March 26, 2024). "SZA Says She's Remaking Lana Deluxe from Scratch Due to Song Leaks". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  13. ^ Zemler, Emily (March 27, 2024). "SZA Will Release 'Leaks and Outtakes' from 'SOS' as Deluxe LP to Focus on Next Project". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  14. ^ Exposito, Suzy (February 23, 2023). "Your Favorite Artist's Favorite Artist: How SZA Went from Cult Star to Pop Superstar". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  15. ^ Rowley, Glenn (October 17, 2022). "SZA Reveals She Recorded 'A Hundred' Songs for Sophomore Album, Which She Says Is Coming 'Any Day'". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  16. ^ Williams, Kyann-Sian (February 12, 2024). "SZA on New Album Lana : 'I Want to Allow It to Finish Shaping Itself'". NME. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d Mukhtar, Amel (November 14, 2024). "'I'm Not Meant to Be Famous, I Just Keep Trying to Rise to the Occasion': SZA Gives Her Most Revealing Interview to Date". British Vogue. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  18. ^ "SZA Teases An Earthy New Era With "Storytime"". Nylon. July 1, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  19. ^ Geraghty, Hollie (December 11, 2023). "SZA reveals Lana cover art, celebrates one-year anniversary of SOS". NME. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  20. ^ a b Staff, Wonderland (July 1, 2024). "SZA Teases New Album, Lana". Wonderland. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  21. ^ Squires, Bethy (September 25, 2024). "SZA Is Tired of Not Being a Bug". Vulture. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  22. ^ Gumede, Bongeka; Tshabalala, Gugulethu (January 20, 2023). "One Album, Two Takes: SZA's Latest Offering Is a Stellar Follow-Up to Ctrl". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  23. ^ Kelly, Tyler Damara (September 11, 2023). "SZA Reveals Forthcoming Deluxe Edition of Her Album, SOS, Is Called Lana". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  24. ^ Powell, Jon (November 29, 2023). "SZA provides update on Lana project: "It's become more than I expected"". Revolt. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  25. ^ Trapp, Malcolm (November 29, 2023). "SZA Says She Can Drop Lana Randomly Because "No One's Actually Expecting" It". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  26. ^ II, Moises Mendez (December 21, 2023). "The Most Anticipated Albums of 2024". TIME. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  27. ^ Aswad, Jem (March 27, 2024). "SZA to Release Leaked Songs as Deluxe Edition of 'SOS,' Will Remake Delayed 'Lana' LP 'From Scratch'". Variety. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  28. ^ Rosenbloom, Alli (January 8, 2024). "SZA Is Over People Leaking Her Music". CNN. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  29. ^ Abraham, Mya (October 3, 2023). "SZA Compares Upcoming Deluxe Album 'Lana' To Lil Uzi Vert's 'LUV vs. The World 2'". VIBE.com. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  30. ^ Espinoza, Joshua (February 23, 2024). "SZA Surprises Fans with Official 'Saturn' Release, Complete with Live Rendition". Complex. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  31. ^ Spanos, Brittany (February 5, 2024). "SZA Debuts Lush New Song 'Saturn' During Grammys Commercial". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  32. ^ Thomas, Carly (February 5, 2024). "SZA Sings 'Snooze' and 'Kill Bill' During Fierce Grammys Performance". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  33. ^ Gonzalez, Alex (March 13, 2024). "SZA Sings About 'Community D*ck' on a New Snippet Teasing Lana, Which Is 'Bout to Drop'". Uproxx. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  34. ^ Moore, Sam (March 13, 2024). "SZA Fuels Excitement for SOS Deluxe with Racy Video Teaser". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  35. ^ Peters, Daniel (June 30, 2024). "SZA teases new album at BST Hyde Park headline set with song snippet". NME. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  36. ^ Legaspi, Althea; Corcoran, Nina; Richardson, Kalia (August 3, 2024). "Stray Kids 'ATE,' SZA and Zedd Drop New Songs at Lollapalooza Day Two". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  37. ^ Trapp, Malcolm (November 16, 2024). "SZA Previews Playful Freestyle Ahead of SOS (Deluxe) and Lana Releases". Rap-Up. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
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