SZA Plans Major Shift in Her Music Career After Chart-Topping Success
SZA, the acclaimed R&B singer whose 2022 album SOS has become a commercial and critical sensation, has revealed surprising plans for her future in the music industry. Despite recent chart success, including a return to the top of the Billboard 200 with her album’s deluxe version, SZA shared on social media that she intends to take her career in a completely different direction.
On January 4, SZA posted to X (formerly Twitter), announcing her intention to create more peaceful music for children to fulfill her remaining album commitments, before stepping away from the music industry entirely. “To fulfill my last 2 album requirements I think I just wanna make peaceful children’s music n get outta here,” she wrote. “Then go be a farmer n donate the produce to underserved communities.” This post caught many of her fans off guard, especially considering the overwhelming success of SOS, which had recently regained the top spot on the Billboard 200 after the release of its 15-track deluxe version.
Originally released in 2022, SOS garnered critical acclaim and commercial success, and its deluxe edition, released on December 20, 2024, helped propel it back to number one. The album shifted 178,000 equivalent units in its first week after the deluxe release, a remarkable feat that highlights its continued popularity. Even without the deluxe edition, the 15 additional tracks from Lana would have propelled it to number one, surpassing Michael Bublé’s Christmas album by 5,000 units.
SZA’s SOS has now spent a total of 11 nonconsecutive weeks at number one and has remained in the top 20 of the Billboard 200 since its release nearly two years ago. The ongoing success of the album has been a testament to her staying power in the music industry, with many fans continuing to support her after multiple years of chart-topping success.
In celebration of her achievements, SZA expressed gratitude to her fans on social media. She shared her thankfulness on Instagram Stories and also took to X, writing: “If it wasn’t for Gods favor over my life this year boyyy. My parents are healthy. Won 3 Grammys. Went number one again. Sang on Sesame Street. Shot a movie. Shot a Vogue cover. Toured the world. Got a Songwriters Hall of Fame award. WHO JAH BLESS NO MAN CURSE!! NO MAN!!! AMEN.”
Despite her massive accomplishments, it appears SZA is ready for a new chapter in her life. Whether or not she will follow through on her plans to leave music remains to be seen, but her candidness about her future ambitions has sparked conversations among fans and the broader music community. For now, fans can continue to enjoy her music as she closes out her current commitments with an unexpected twist.
