Low (SZA song) explained

Low
Type:song
Artist:SZA
Album:SOS
Written:November 2022
Recorded:November 2022
Genre:
Length:3:01
Label:
Producer:

"Low" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA from her second album, SOS (2022). The song features adlibs from American rapper Travis Scott. It charted in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, with a number 24 peak on the Billboard Global 200. The song received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 66th ceremony.

Background

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. Her next studio album was highly anticipated,[1] [2] and she alluded to its completion as early as August 2019,[3] [4] during an interview with DJ Kerwin Frost.[5]

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."[6] 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.[7]

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.[8] 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.[9]

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.[10] 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, "Low" appears as the album's fourth track.[11] [12]

Music and production

"Low" was written and recorded around Thanksgiving 2022.[13] The song was produced by Alessandro Buccellati, Rob Bisel and Aire Atlantica, who used AutoTune on SZA's vocals.[14]

Release and reception

The song reached the top 40 in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States, with chart peaks of number 34, number 21, number 36, and number 17, respectively. It peaked at number 6 on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart; out of 20 songs from SOS that debuted in the United States, "Low" was the fourth highest, behind "Kill Bill", "Nobody Gets Me", and "Blind".[15] On February 7, 2023, it, along with three other songs from SOS, were certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for surpassing 500,000 units sold.[16] On April 7, 2023, it was certified platinum by them for 1,000,000 units sold.

Time called "Low" a "strip club anthem".[17]

Credits

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of SOS.[19]

Recording and management

Personnel

Note

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"
Position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[20] 93
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[21] 28
US Streaming Songs (Billboard)[22] 66

Notes and References

  1. 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 . live . . en-US . https://web.archive.org/web/20230105121108/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/sza-sos-five-burning-questions-1235194018/ . January 5, 2023 . January 5, 2023.
  2. Web site: Kornhaber . Spencer . December 14, 2022 . What Gives SZA Her Edge . limited . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221226021827/https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2022/12/sza-sos-2022-album-review/672462/ . December 26, 2022 . December 30, 2022 . . en.
  3. Web site: Robinson . Ellie . June 7, 2021 . SZA Reveals She 'Burst Into Tears' During a Rehearsal of '20 Something' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221228181636/https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/sza-reveals-she-burst-into-tears-during-a-rehearsal-of-20-something-2962520 . December 28, 2022 . December 28, 2022 . . en.
  4. Web site: Alston . Trey . January 3, 2020 . SZA Is Dropping a New Album This Year but When Is Beyond Her Ctrl . dead . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221230070311/https://www.mtv.com/news/czsw6b/sza-releasing-new-album-in-2020 . December 30, 2022 . December 30, 2022 . . en.
  5. Web site: Reese . Alexis . August 20, 2019 . SZA Reveals Sophomore Album Is On the Way . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220520143032/https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/sza-sophomore-album-on-the-way-661298/ . May 20, 2022 . April 2, 2023 . . en-US.
  6. Web site: Schatz . Lake . August 20, 2019 . SZA Says New Album Coming 'Soon as F*ck' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221228130346/https://consequence.net/2019/08/sza-new-album-update-justin-timberlake/ . December 28, 2022 . December 28, 2022 . . en-US.
  7. Web site: Kenneally . Cerys . January 5, 2021 . SZA Says New Album Will Feature Material That Made Her Feel Something in Her Heart and Gut . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221228102934/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/sza-says-new-lp-will-feature-material-made-her-feel-something-in-heart-gut . December 28, 2022 . December 28, 2022 . . en-US.
  8. Web site: Kenneally . Cerys . April 4, 2022 . SZA Says New Album Is 'Finished' and Describes It as Her 'Most Unisex' Project Yet . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221209000759/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/sza-says-new-album-is-finished-describes-it-as-her-most-unisex-project-yet . December 9, 2022 . November 17, 2022 . The Line of Best Fit.
  9. Web site: Blake . Cole . October 16, 2022 . SZA Confirms 'Shirt' Music Video Is on the Way: 'It's Turned In' . December 15, 2022 . . en-US . December 15, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221215144259/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/441251-sza-confirms-shirt-music-video-is-on-the-way-its-turned-in . live .
  10. Web site: Serrano . Athena . November 16, 2022 . SZA Is 'Currently Stressed' About Releasing New Album S.O.S. . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20221229005159/https://www.mtv.com/news/8znfna/sza-sos-album-announcement . December 29, 2022 . December 15, 2022 . . en.
  11. Web site: Curto . Justin . December 5, 2022 . SZA Puts Fans on Alert, Announces New Album S.O.S . December 15, 2022 . . en-us . December 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221219211034/https://www.vulture.com/2022/12/sza-album-sos-release-date-details.html . live .
  12. Paul . Larisha . December 5, 2022 . SZA Taps Phoebe Bridgers, Travis Scott for S.O.S Album . . en-US . December 15, 2022 . December 15, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221215144257/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sza-phoebe-bridgers-travis-scott-sos-tracklist-1234641720/ . live .
  13. Hiatt . Brian . January 29, 2023 . The Making of SZA's Chart-Topping SOS . live . . en-US . https://web.archive.org/web/20230129211852/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/sza-making-of-sos-podcast-1234670550/ . January 29, 2023 . January 30, 2023 . limited.
  14. Web site: 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 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221217103409/https://variety.com/2022/music/album-reviews/sza-sos-album-review-1235455868/ . December 17, 2022 . December 29, 2022 . Variety.
  15. Zellner . Xander . December 20, 2022 . SZA Debuts 20 Songs From SOS on Hot 100, Rules Artist 100 for First Time . February 5, 2023 . . en-US . December 21, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221221081326/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/sza-debuts-20-songs-from-sos-hot-100-rules-artist-100-1235189798/ . live .
  16. Web site: Abraham . Mya . February 7, 2023 . SZA's Reign At No. 1 Thwarted By K-Pop Group, Tomorrow X Together . February 9, 2023 . . en-US . February 9, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230209152940/https://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/sza-sos-tomorrow-x-together-no-1-billboard-1234733435/ . live .
  17. Chow . Andrew R. . Mendez II . Moises . December 9, 2022 . Was SZA's SOS Worth the Wait? Breaking Down Its Best Songs and Big Themes . live . . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20221225142306/https://time.com/6239912/sza-sos/ . December 25, 2022 . January 8, 2023.
  18. Web site: November 10, 2023 . Grammy Nominations 2024: See the Full List Here . November 10, 2023 . . en-US . November 10, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231110161249/https://pitchfork.com/news/grammy-nominations-2024-see-the-full-list-here/ . live .
  19. . . 2023 . vinyl liner notes . . 19658-77921-1.
  20. Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 22, 2023. November 21, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231121194905/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2023/canadian-hot-100/. live.
  21. Year-End Charts – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 2023. Billboard. November 22, 2023. November 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231122081906/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2023/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs/. live.
  22. Year-End Charts – Streaming Songs 2023. Billboard. November 22, 2023. November 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231122082620/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/streaming-songs/. live. subscription.

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