When young, black women needed someone to create the soundtrack of their lives, SZA was there. And when vulnerability needed to be retaught despite the barriers we’ve all worked so hard to build, SZA was there.
The 27-year-old vocalist, who signed to Top Dawg Entertainment in 2013, has been booked and busy since the release of her evocative, debut summer ’17 album, CTRL. SZA’s dreamy vocals were perfect for all occasions, the album a mixture of party preparation songs, tunes of self-awareness, and those that mark the graduation from one area of womanhood to the next. It was and is her magnum opus.
And she had five well-deserved Grammy nominations to show for it. Unfortunately, three of those awards were announced off-screen and the other two, Best New Artist and Best Rap/Sung Performance, were given to others. What is the meaning of this, you ask?
Many believe that SZA was snubbed. Robbed of her Grammys with no explanation. Deprived of a birthright. And they’ve taken to their social media accounts to express that.
But she’ll get her awards, without a doubt. Stay strong, Solana. We stand with you. Share in the sufferings of fans below.
Hello my loves,
Stand with me in boycotting the Grammys for allowing SZA to lose best new artist. She deserved it and the others simply did not. Make it make sense.
I love us for real.#Grammys pic.twitter.com/tllNMBpLDg
— I Luh God ✨ (@aVeryRichBish) January 29, 2018
No shade to Alessia Cara… but SZA deserves better. #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/pHpWKFMRPn
— Affinity Magazine (@TheAffinityMag) January 29, 2018
KHALID OR SZA DESERVED THE AWARD FOR BEST NEW ARTIST #grammys pic.twitter.com/zSGsatRiAH
— cool (@pizzasandpearls) January 29, 2018
Twitter when SZA didn’t when best new artist #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/CJKQyGp27q
— dams (@GuyDams) January 29, 2018
Who listens to Alessia Cara apart from garlic bread twitter? SZA WAS ROBBED
— rjhours (@rjhours) January 29, 2018
So who’s starting the petition to get SZA to win instead? I’m mad
— Valentina V. (@valentinavoight) January 29, 2018
Yall: “I cant believe they snubbed SZA
Me after seeing them snub Beyoncé and Rihanna for years #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/isHYIvj7qV
— ❄️Kriscocaine❄️ (@Pass_da_chicken) January 29, 2018
they really gave sza the rihanna treatment and let her walk away with 0 awards…. pic.twitter.com/3UtrDEtDK2
— imane (@deliverih) January 29, 2018
I’d listen to Despacito another 100 times if it meant Kesha and SZA would get their rightly deserved #Grammys
— jim jelly (@jamesjmnz) January 29, 2018