Albums to watch

SOS

SZA

SOS

Second album of r&b pop from the Solána Imani Rowe with guest appearances from Phoebe Bridgers, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Travis Scott, and Don Toliver

ADM rating[?]

8.3

Label
RCA
UK Release date
09/12/2022
US Release date
09/12/2022
  1. 10.0 |   NME

    The US star's first album in five years – and her last ever, she says – is sprawling, superb and rarely puts a foot wrong
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  2. 10.0 |   DIY

    The drought may be over, but SZA left no crumbs
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  3. 10.0 |   Dork

    A great leap forward from now indisputable pop superstar
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  4. 9.0 |   Paste Magazine

    In an era where bloated albums built to inflate streams are increasingly frequent, SZA has delivered a 23-track masterwork on which nearly every song fits, each individual piece made with purpose and feeling
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  5. 9.0 |   Spectrum Culture

    SZA’s widely anticipated sophomore record SOS delivers on all fronts. Her honest lyricism, vocal work, collaborations and genre versatility keep the tracks fresh and make each an individual step forward in her artistry
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  6. 8.8 |   Beats Per Minute

    It may take a few years for SOS to ascend to the heights, but if 808s & Heartbreak was the breakup record of the 2000s and Blonde was the 2010s examination of loss and trauma, then SZA might have produced that emotional breaking point for the 2020s
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  7. 8.7 |   Pitchfork

    SZA’s long, ambitious, luxurious new album solidifies her position as a generational talent, an artist who translates her innermost feelings into indelible moments
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  8. 8.0 |   The Quietus

    A brilliant, clever, broken junkyard of an album, often compositionally and melodically so gaspingly good, I’ve completely fallen for large chunks of it
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  9. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    Emotional heft, piercingly astute lyrics and a versatile delivery mark a triumphant return that comes with lush production, some A-list guests and wild mood swings
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  10. 8.0 |   Northern Transmissions

    With her sense of humor, vulnerability, and ability to craft purposeful and monumental songs, SZA is one of the most down-to-earth musicians today
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  11. 8.0 |   The FT

    Despite Label Scuffles And Self-Imposed Pressure, Sza’s 23-Track Sophomore Album Is A Breezy, Cohesive Pleasure
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  12. 8.0 |   Slant Magazine

    Like SZA herself, SOS seems to be in a state of constant flux, operating at times on what seems to be a total whim
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  13. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    The US star’s follow-up to her groundbreaking debut ranges wildly, from pop-punk to traces of Radiohead and a Phoebe Bridgers feature. You’d give it a trim were the quality not so unerringly high
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  14. 8.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    Did SOS need to be 23 tracks long? Not really. However it doesn’t feel like SZA is trying to make the blueprint for the album arc – she’s making a SZA album, no one else's. It’s something self-indulgent that few could get away with, but every song finds its place effortlessly
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  15. 8.0 |   Rolling Stone

    Even more enjoyable than her 2017 debut, CTRL. The songs are looser and more confident. And the worthy themes—retribution, nostalgia, ego—amount to the most intimate and juicy self-revelations since the Real World confessional booth
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  16. 8.0 |   Clash

    This is an album about growth, however messy and non-linear it may be. Finally prized from the hands of a perfectionist, you’d hope going forward, ‘SOS’ vindicates and releases it’s creator from the burden of expectation
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  17. 7.0 |   Gigwise

    An anticipated return - but was the wait worth it?
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  18. 6.0 |   The Observer

    The R&B artist’s long-awaited follow-up to Ctrl is less focused but still full of character
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