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Nobody Gets Me

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Nobody Gets Me"
Single by SZA
from the album SOS
ReleasedJanuary 6, 2023 (2023-01-06)
Genre
Length3:00
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
SZA singles chronology
"Shirt"
(2022) 		"Nobody Gets Me"
(2023) 		"Kill Bill"
(2023)
Music video
"Nobody Gets Me" on YouTube

"Nobody Gets Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA and the fourth single from her second studio album, SOS (2022). It was sent to Italian radio on January 6, 2023, and US contemporary hit radio four days later. The song peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the Canadian Hot 100, and the Official New Zealand Music Chart.

Background

[edit]

SZA released her debut studio album, Ctrl, in 2017. Primarily an R&B album that deals with themes like heartbreak, it received widespread acclaim for SZA's vocal performance, the musical style, and the songwriting. The album brought SZA to mainstream fame, and critics credit it with establishing her as a major figure in contemporary pop and R&B music and pushing the boundaries of R&B.[note 1] Her next studio album was highly anticipated,[8][9] and she alluded to its completion as early as August 2019,[10][11] during an interview with DJ Kerwin Frost.[12]

Commenting on the creative process behind the album, SZA stated it would be just as candid and personal as Ctrl: "This next album is even more of me being less afraid of who am I when I have no choice? When I'm not out trying to curate myself and contain."[13] When SZA collaborated with Cosmopolitan for their February 2021 issue, she spoke about her creative process for the album: "this album is going to be the shit that made me feel something in my...here and in here", pointing to her heart and gut.[14]

From April to May 2022, SZA told media outlets that she had recently finished the album in Hawaii and said it was her most relatable or "unisex" body of work as of then.[15] During an interview with Complex, she described the album's composition: "I have no idea what it sounds like to anybody else. I really don't know. It's so bizarre. It's weird that I can't put my finger on it. It's a little bit of everything", and she added that certain tracks on the album had a soft or balladic sound.[16] SZA, in a Consequence cover story, further commented on her plans to experiment with various genres. She asserted it was "lazy" to reduce her to an R&B artist: "Black music doesn't have to just be R&B [...] Why can't we just be expansive and not reductive?"[17]

During a Billboard cover story published in November, SZA revealed that the title of her second album was SOS, and it was scheduled for release sometime the following month.[18] On December 3, 2022, she announced it would be released on December 9, and two days later, she posted the track list on Twitter. Out of 23 songs, "Nobody Gets Me" appears as the album's 14th track.[19][20] The same day, SZA posted a snippet of the song on her YouTube account.[21]

Music and lyrics

[edit]

SZA and Punch, president of her record label Top Dawg Entertainment, spoke in length about SOS's sound during an interview with Rolling Stone. The album's composition is eclectic; SZA incorporated elements of "traditional" R&B into the album, but she also took inspiration from several artists in jazz, hip hop, alternative rock, and country music. About the wide range of musical styles incorporated into SOS, Punch commented: "It's a new chapter. She's not scared to try certain things now."[22] "Nobody Gets Me", a ballad backed by an acoustic guitar,[23] combines two of these genres—alternative rock and country[24][25]—with a contemporary folk musical style.[26] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times wrote that the composition leaned towards alternative country.[27]

In the lyrics, SZA recalls memories she made with her ex-fiancé, narrates all the events that strained their relationship and led to their break-up, and explains how she has felt in the aftermath. SZA spoke about the song's story in a radio interview prior to the album's release; she told the host that breaking up with him was like banishing herself to hell for the rest of her life because he was the only person who she thought could understand her feelings. She tried rekindling their relationship, but she turned out to regret her decision, and she also compared the experience to going to hell.[28]

The first verse recounts a drunken argument they had at the MGM Grand shortly after they had sex: "you were balls deep, now we beefin'".[29][30] She talks about how she screamed "fuck that" towards him, saying that even though she could barely remember it because she was drunk, she meant what she told him.[31] Writing for The Quietus, CJ Thorpe-Tracey argued that the line was the lyric that best summarized SOS, because to him it aptly captured a recurring theme in the album in which SZA gets into several arguments with her ex-partners and tries to get over them quickly using coping mechanisms like sex.[30] She returns to the present in the next few lines, urging him to "stick it in 'fore the memories get to kicking in" knowing that they both will regret it.[32]

Critical reception

[edit]

Vulture and The Sydney Morning Herald praised the song's vocals,[24][33] whereas Variety praised the melodic arrangement.[25]

Credits

[edit]

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of SOS.[34]

Recording and management

  • Engineered at Westlake Studios A and C (Los Angeles, California)
  • Mixed at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
  • Mastered at Becker Mastering (Pasadena, California)

Personnel

  • Solána Rowe (SZA) – lead vocals, songwriting, background vocals
  • Benjamin Levin (Benny Blanco) – songwriting, production (for Matzah Ball Productions, Inc.), instruments, programming
  • Carter Lang – songwriting, production, instruments, programming
  • Rob Bisel – songwriting, background vocals, engineering
  • Patrick Gardner – assistant engineering
  • Robert N. Johnson – assistant engineering
  • Jonathan Lopez – assistant engineering
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing
  • Bryce Bordone – engineering (for mix)
  • Dale Becker – mastering
  • Katie Harvey – assistant mastering
  • Noah McCorkle – assistant mastering

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for "Nobody Gets Me"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[62] Gold 35,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[63] Platinum 40,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[64] 2× Platinum 160,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[65] Gold 45,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[66] Platinum 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[67] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[68] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Release history and formats for "Nobody Gets Me"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Italy January 6, 2023 Radio airplay Sony Music [69]
United States January 10, 2023 Contemporary hit radio
[70]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Cited to multiple sources[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Curto, Justin (December 9, 2022). "SZA Finally Unleashed Her Inner Rock Star". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  2. ^ Mitchell, Ashlee (December 13, 2022). "5 Takeaways from SZA's New Album SOS". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  3. ^ Taylor, Ims (December 9, 2022). "SZA Hits the Heights on the Dense but Masterful SOS". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  4. ^ Daly, Rhian (December 9, 2022). "SZA – SOS Review: A Comeback Album Well Worth the Wait". NME. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  5. ^ McCormick, Neil; Haider, Arwa; Johnston, Kathleen (December 9, 2022). "Sam Ryder Is No One-Hit Wonder, SZA Channels Princess Diana – The Week's Best Albums". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  6. ^ Pearce, Sheldon. "SZA: Ctrl (Deluxe)". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  7. ^ Siregar, Cady (December 9, 2022). "On SOS, SZA Once Again Blows Expectations Out of the Water". Consequence. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  8. ^ Lee, Cydney; Lipshutz, Jason; Mamo, Heran; Robinson, Kristin; Unterberger, Andrew (January 4, 2023). "Five Burning Questions: SZA Holds at No. 1 for Third Week with SOS Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  9. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (December 14, 2022). "What Gives SZA Her Edge". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  10. ^ Robinson, Ellie (June 7, 2021). "SZA Reveals She 'Burst Into Tears' During a Rehearsal of '20 Something'". NME. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  11. ^ Alston, Trey (January 3, 2020). "SZA Is Dropping a New Album This Year but When Is Beyond Her Ctrl". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  12. ^ Reese, Alexis (August 20, 2019). "SZA Reveals Sophomore Album Is On the Way". Vibe. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  13. ^ Schatz, Lake (August 20, 2019). "SZA Says New Album Coming 'Soon as F*ck'". Consequence. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
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  15. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (April 4, 2022). "SZA Says New Album Is 'Finished' and Describes It as Her 'Most Unisex' Project Yet". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  16. ^ Blake, Cole (October 16, 2022). "SZA Confirms 'Shirt' Music Video Is on the Way: 'It's Turned In'". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  17. ^ Price, Joe (December 13, 2022). "SZA Suggests She Plans to Take Extended Break Following SOS Release: 'I'm Gonna Disappear'". Complex. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  18. ^ Serrano, Athena (November 16, 2022). "SZA Is 'Currently Stressed' About Releasing New Album S.O.S.". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  19. ^ Curto, Justin (December 5, 2022). "SZA Puts Fans on Alert, Announces New Album S.O.S". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  20. ^ Paul, Larisha (December 5, 2022). "SZA Taps Phoebe Bridgers, Travis Scott for S.O.S Album". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  21. ^ "Nobody Gets Me - YouTube". December 5, 2022. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022 – via YouTube.
  22. ^ Carmichael, Emma (February 26, 2020). "The Rebirth of SZA". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  23. ^ Wicker, Jewel (December 12, 2022). "SZA Is Trying to Save Herself". Consequence. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  24. ^ a b Jenkins, Craig (December 12, 2022). "SZA Wants It All". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  25. ^ a b Amorosi, A. D. (December 9, 2022). "SZA Sends Out an SOS That Will Be an Emergency Addition to Everyone's 10-Best Lists: Album Review". Variety. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  26. ^ Paige, Deasia (December 13, 2022). "On SOS, SZA Proves She's One of This Generation's Best Songwriters". Elle. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  27. ^ Caramanica, Jon (March 5, 2023). "On Her Biggest Tour Yet, SZA Makes Small Feelings Huge". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  28. ^ Rowe, Solána (December 7, 2022). "SZA on New Album SOS, Being Pissed & What Makes Her Not Want to Put Out Music Again". WQHT (Interview). Interviewed by Nessa. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  29. ^ Shepherd, Julianne Escobedo (December 9, 2022). "SOS: SZA". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  30. ^ a b Thorpe-Tracey, CJ (December 15, 2022). "SZA: SOS". The Quietus. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  31. ^ "SZA shares reflective new "Nobody Gets Me" video". Revolt. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  32. ^ Wood, Mikael (December 9, 2022). "On the Dazzling SOS, SZA Spares No One, Least of All Herself". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  33. ^ Moran, Robert; Shand, John; Nguyen, Giselle Au-Nhien (November 29, 2022). "SZA's Addictive Album Is the Summer Soundtrack You've Been Waiting For". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  34. ^ SZA (2023). SOS (vinyl liner notes). Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records. 19658-77921-1.
  35. ^ "SZA – Kill Bill". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  36. ^ "SZA Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  37. ^ "SZA Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  38. ^ "SZA Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  39. ^ "SZA Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  40. ^ "IFPI Charts". ifpi.gr. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
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  42. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  43. ^ "SZA Chart History (Malaysia Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  44. ^ "Top 20 Most Streamed International Singles In Malaysia Week 51 (16/12/2022-22/12/2022)". RIM. January 2, 2023. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023 – via Facebook.
  45. ^ "SZA – Nobody Gets Me". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
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  47. ^ "SZA – Nobody Gets Me". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  48. ^ "RIAS Top Charts Week 51 (16 - 22 Dec 2022)". RIAS. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  49. ^ "De Top 40 Lijst Voor 23 Feb – 3 Mrt 2023" [The Top 40 List For Feb 23 – Mar 3, 2023]. Nationale Top 40 Suriname. February 23, 2023. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  50. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 50". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
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  52. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  53. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  54. ^ "SZA Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  55. ^ "SZA Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  56. ^ "SZA Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  57. ^ "SZA Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  58. ^ "SZA Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
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  63. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – SZA – Nobody Gets Me" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  64. ^ "Canadian single certifications – SZA – Nobody Gets Me". Music Canada. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  65. ^ "Danish single certifications – SZA – Nobody Gets Me". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  66. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – SZA – Nobody Gets Me". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  67. ^ "British single certifications – SZA – Nobody Gets Me". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  68. ^ "American single certifications – SZA – Nobody Gets Me". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  69. ^ Sisti, Sara (January 2, 2023). "SZA - Nobody Gets Me (Radio Date: 06-01-2023)". EarOne (Press release) (in Italian). Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  70. ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on December 18, 2022.
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