Special (SZA song) explained

Special
Type:song
Artist:SZA
Album:SOS
Written:2022
Recorded:2022
Genre:Folk-pop
Length:
  • 2:38
Label:
Producer:

"Special" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA from her second studio album, SOS (2022).

Background

SZA released her debut studio album, Ctrl, in 2017. Primarily an R&B album that deals with themes like heartbreak, Ctrl received widespread acclaim for SZA's vocals and the eclectic musical style, as well as the relatability, emotional impact, and confessional nature of the songwriting. The album brought SZA to mainstream fame, and critics credit it with establishing her status as a major figure in contemporary pop and R&B music and pushing the boundaries of the R&B genre. Her next studio album was therefore 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]

From April to May 2022, SZA told media outlets that she had recently finished the album in Hawaii and said that it was coming soon.[6] Wanting to prove her versatility, she revealed her vision for the album involved an amalgamation of various disparate musical styles: "a little bit of everything". It would incorporate the "traditional" R&B sound that had been a staple of SZA's past works,[7] [8] alongside tracks of a more stripped-back and acoustic nature.[9]

Music and lyrics

SZA had begun working on the second studio album, SOS (2022), by 2019, but some tracks were written and recorded in 2022 alongside a number of other songs due to bursts of productivity from time pressure. Carter Lang, one of SOS producers, commented, "that's when [we] started feeling like, hey, 'We gotta do this shit like, it's been some years.' We bottled up that energy and everything was just sort of a preparation for that moment. The track "Special" was among those recorded in 2022.[10]

"Special" is a folk-pop[11] acoustic ballad,[12] built around guitars and chiming melodies from a keyboard. The lyrics are self-deprecating[13] [14] and explore feelings such as jealousy and body dysmorphia.[15] [16] In the first verse, SZA critiques her body, lamenting her dry skin and the "pimples where [her] beauty marks should be",[17] and envies "the girl from the Gucci store", who owns haute couture clothes and does not need to wear makeup.[18] [19] She sings of contradictory desires and needs: to be skinny and curvaceous, to be an "art piece" and an "ordinary girl", and to be given attention and be left alone. Kyle Denis of Billboard wrote that the song can be placed within the context of misogynoir, prejudice against Black women, because it reflects the insecurities and self-hate that make it difficult for Black women in particular to find fulfilling romantic relationships.

The song's central theme is about giving one's best to the wrong person and, in turn, feeling hollow and left behind in a failing relationship.[20] It is addressed to a former lover, whom the narrator deems a loser who has made her feel like a loser too, despite giving them "all [her] special".

Critics observed melodic and lyrical similarities between "Special" and the song "Creep" (1993) by Radiohead,[21] noting that the songs resembled each other by their use of guitars and themes of self-hatred.[22] [23] The "I wish I was special" line from the chorus of "Special" can be found in the pre-chorus of "Creep". Rob Bisel, another of SOS producers, acknowledged the comparisons in a podcast interview with Rolling Stone in December 2022, where he described "Creep" as a "subconscious" influence. He said: "The thought crossed my mind as we were recording it, but I didn't want to necessarily create a creative speed bump or set a creative agenda by pointing that out and addressing it." Other critics likened the songwriting in "Special" to SZA's 2017 single "Drew Barrymore", which contains similarly self-conscious lyrics such as "I'm sorry I'm not more attractive / I'm sorry I'm not more ladylike/ I'm sorry I don't shave my legs at night,"[24] as well as the works of Taylor Swift.

Credits

Adapted from the liner notes of SOS[25]

Recording and management

Personnel

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: 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.
  7. Web site: Phan . Karena . December 9, 2022 . Review: SZA's Perfection Takes Time in Second Album SOS . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221228133656/https://apnews.com/article/travis-scott-entertainment-reviews-hip-hop-and-rap-623ad8d680b71cc142b06c9b00fd8bf1 . December 28, 2022 . February 5, 2023 . . en.
  8. Web site: McNeal . Bria . December 9, 2022 . SZA's SOS Is Unpolished—and Completely Thrilling . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221211131456/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a42201068/sza-sos-album-review-details/ . December 11, 2022 . February 10, 2023 . . en-us.
  9. Web site: Wang . Steffanee . December 10, 2022 . SZA's SOS in 5 Essential Songs . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221215093619/https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/best-songs-sza-sos-album-phoebe-bridgers . December 15, 2022 . February 6, 2023 . . en.
  10. 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.
  11. Web site: Kearse . Stephen . December 15, 2022 . SZA, 'Special' . December 30, 2022 . . December 30, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221230103843/https://www.npr.org/sections/now-playing/2022/12/15/1142283759/sza-special . live .
  12. Web site: Wood . Mikael . March 23, 2023 . At the Forum, the Enthralling Confessions of SZA . limited . December 30, 2023 . . en-US . April 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230404023315/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-03-23/sza-sos-kia-forum-concert-review . live .
  13. Denis . Kyle . December 11, 2023 . What the Year of 'I'm the Problem, It's Me' Taught Us About the Future of Pop . December 30, 2023 . . en-US . December 30, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231230094908/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-olivia-rodrigo-sza-sarcastic-songwriting-pop-hits-1235547745/ . live .
  14. Web site: Guy . Zoe . December 9, 2022 . Everything SZA References on SOS (Including Herself) . limited . December 30, 2023 . . en . December 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221220165422/https://www.vulture.com/2022/12/sza-sos-lyrics-samples-movie-references.html . live .
  15. News: Caramanica . Jon . Jon Caramanica . March 5, 2023 . On Her Biggest Tour Yet, SZA Makes Small Feelings Huge . en-US . . limited . December 30, 2023 . March 31, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230331004924/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/05/arts/music/sza-sos-tour-review.html . live .
  16. Web site: Shepherd . Julianne Escobedo . December 9, 2022 . SOS: SZA . December 30, 2023 . . en-US . December 29, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221229074553/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/sza-sos/ . live .
  17. Web site: Wood . Mikael . December 8, 2023 . On the Dazzling SOS, SZA Spares No One, Least of All Herself . limited . December 30, 2023 . . en-US . December 29, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221229123345/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2022-12-08/sza-sos-new-album . live .
  18. Web site: Ampil . Izzy . February 3, 2023 . How SZA Rose from Indie Favorite to National No. 1 . December 30, 2023 . . en . September 24, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230924030349/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/izzyampil/sza-sos-career-albums . live .
  19. Web site: Gonzalez . Alex . December 9, 2022 . SZA Flips a Radiohead Classic on Her SOS Cut, 'Special' . December 30, 2023 . . en-US . December 30, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231230094909/https://uproxx.com/music/sza-special-radiohead-creep-sos/ . live .
  20. Web site: Sophia . Kat . March 20, 2023 . The SOS Tour: SZA Onstage Is Sensational . December 30, 2023 . . en-US . May 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230528002603/https://www.independent.com/2023/03/20/review-the-sos-tour-sza-onstage-is-sensational/ . live .
  21. News: Pareles . Jon . Jon Pareles . December 13, 2022 . SZA Revels in Mixed Emotions on SOS . en-US . . limited . December 30, 2023 . December 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221222042443/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/13/arts/music/sza-sos-review.html . live .
  22. News: Petridis . Alexis . Alexis Petridis . December 9, 2022 . SZA: SOS Review – R&B Innovator's Long-Awaited Return Is an Eclectic Sprawl . en-GB . . December 30, 2023 . December 9, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221209004750/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/dec/08/sza-sos-review-top-dawg-entertainment-rca . live .
  23. Web site: Thorpe-Tracey . CJ . Chris T-T . December 15, 2022 . SZA: SOS . live . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221230083317/https://thequietus.com/articles/32478-sza-sos-review . December 30, 2022 . December 30, 2023 . . en-us.
  24. Web site: Robinson . Otis . December 9, 2022 . SZA – SOS . December 30, 2023 . . en . March 21, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230321174741/https://diymag.com/review/album/sza-sos-album-review . live .
  25. . . 2023 . vinyl liner notes . . 19658-77921-1.

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