the good stuff here is so, SO good. but, yeah gonna echo the 'bloated' comments. i will probably never listen to this in full, but will certainly throw some of the good stuff onto a playlist so I keep coming back around to it.
This is my first foray into Sza…am I missing something? There’s nothing in this record that sounds fresh, a lot of it sounds like any run of the mill R&B record. There’s nothing dynamic here, it all sounds so same-y.
Her records really open up on repeat listens. They are very dense melodically and often riff on a particular idea for the whole song. I didn't like Ctrl on my first listen and now it's one of my favorite records of all time. If you're intrigued at all, I would go back to Ctrl and give it a few close listens to let it sink in. Or don't, it's just music!
I’ve been just casually listening to this record while driving around with some family and it feels so nice for that vibe
Yea I think it’s just not for me, couple friends sold me on her sound being a female counterpart to Frank Ocean and I really don’t hear that experimental sound from her.
I would listen to Ctrl, it's much more experimental than this IMO (though this def takes plenty risks and I love it-can't wait to become obsessed)
I threw out a list comment and then took a nap. Some seriously great replies haha. I kind of am a publication though. I always send my year end lists and playlists to my brother and some close friends who love music. “Shirt” was on my year end playlist though.
This has some fantastic songs/moments on it. I feel like the first half is a little stronger but the back had highlights too. The closer was worth the long listen alone
This is way more excellent than a 23-song has any right to be. Helps that the track lengths are so short — she moves from idea to idea quickly and basically nails them all. It’s obviously lacking cohesiveness but in a lot of way that works in its favor. She’s releasing an album-as-photo dump and while some of them are going to be more appealing than others, they’re all intimate and tuneful. She remains one of the great young lyricists in R&B.
ooo you're right. Makes the song even better! This is the most spoiled we've ever been for new music in December, between this and tricot.
Avril was my first thought too. Idk the whole hip hop pop punk fusion thing is really not my bag but F2F feels like the most natural version of it, maybe it’s cause SZA is just really good at what she does or maybe it’s because it’s not all John Feldmann’d out haha. Kenny Mason had a really good one on his 2021 record too
massive throwback but the first thing I thought of when the chorus kicked in was Erase Me by Kid Cudi, if Cudi could sing lol. that's probably the most fun song of this weird subgenre for me
Smaller detail but I really dig her usage of voice recordings/voice memos. The ones from her mom on Ctrl were quietly profound and I’m finding the one on Far to be just as moving. A nice compliment to her lyricism ”How do I deal with rejection? I’m dealing with a lot of rejection right now. It makes me feels very small” “Well, that’s great! If nobody wants you, you’re free”